Legacy
by Rogue Trooper
Summary: Chapter 35 & 36 up. Rehn awakens to an uncertain future and Rage must face her failure on Cey'lon. By Rogue Trooper&Kelly Black.
1. Legacy

((This story is approximately 87 chapters long and is a combined effort between myself (Rogue Trooper) and my friend (Kelly Black). The author of each post will be indicated, unless I forget. If I get enough reviews or feedback, I will keep posting. The events of this story take place 1½ years before the events of STAW WARS: A NEW HOPE. Please read and Review!!))  
  
Disclaimer: All established characters (Darth Vader, Wedge Antilles, the Emperor, Grand Moff Tarkin, Airen Craken ect.) planets, vehicles, technology and stuff belong to George Lucas. I don't own them, I just borrowed them for a little while and promise to put them back where I found them when I'm done. Any other characters (Rehn Gade, Gellan, Drakahn, Barryk, Kren, Rage and various other characters) were created by Kelly or myself.  
  
Chapter 0 (Rogue Trooper)   
  
"Have you ever thought about what you're going to do when this is all over?" the question came unexpectedly.  
  
"Huh?" was all Rehn Gade could say shaking her fine, wedge shaped head, her concentration broken. She shot her partner a glace with mismatched eyes, the left rich mahogany, the right glacial blue. The expectant look on his face told her he was expecting some kind of answer. "When what's over?" she kept her voice low, unable to keep the confusion or annoyance out of her voice.  
  
"The war. Aren't you going to miss all of this?" Gellan Quetad, a blue eyed Alderaanian asked, gesturing around him. The two rebels sat in a darkened section of a seedy Mos Eisley bar. A third rate band played their version of "Red Fields of Ghorm" as the many patrons, an interesting cross section of the galaxies inhabitants, conducted business of the mostly illegal kind. The air was only slightly warmer than the Tattooine night and it was thick with fragrant smoke. His short black hair was tussled and his clothes were worn looking. The butt of his blaster peaked once in a while from beneath the flight jacket that concealed his shoulder holster. At twenty-six year of age, he had been active in the rebellion for six of those years, defecting to the Alliance after he had graduated, with honours, from the Imperial Military Academy. Gade looked at the hansom young captain as if he had just sprouted another head.   
  
"Am I going to miss dodging Imps and bounty hunters and risking my neck on missions that will more than likely get my ass shot off on some Force-forsaken rock of a planet? Is that what you mean?"  
  
"Well. Yeah." Quetad replied, placing his elbow on the grimy table and resting his chin in his right hand . His eyes studied her.  
  
"Hell yeah, I'm going to miss it." she answered taking a healthy swallow of her warm lomin ale, her tone made it seam as if he had asked the most obvious of questions. "As to after?" her voice darkened and her eyes narrowed "I doubt any of us will be around long enough to see the end of this war..." her intensely cold eyes left his face and stared off in the direction of the cantina's single entrance. Her eyes reminded Gellan of those of some older, more experienced soldiers he had served with. They had an emotionless, almost dead quality. He had seen the same haunted gaze in snipers and those who had seen to much death and suffering. "Our contact is here." she said curtly, her demeanour indicating the subject was closed. Gellan spared a surreptitious glance in the direction of the entrance, trying not to look overly interested.   
  
He was a burly Corellian 'trader', a euphemism for smuggler and pirate. He appeared to be in his late thirties, dressed in knee high bantha hide boots, brown trousers and a blue tunic and jacket. He had brilliant green eyes and long auburn hair streaked lightly with grey. A thin scar trailed from he corner of his right eye to the edge of his jaw. No one in the bar paid him much attention. Becoming involved in someone else's business in Mos Eisley was not conductive to a long happy life. Deke Kreever was a pirate/arms dealer known for getting hard to find merchandise, which was why Gade and Quetad had been sent to meet with him. The Alliance was in need of weapons and supplies as the conflict with the Empire had begun to escalate and some of their most important caches had recently been discovered and seized. Gade and Quetad were not usually in the business of acquiring essential war material, their talents leaned more to covert ops- killing people and breaking things.   
  
Kreever sat down nonchalantly at the table. Quetad leaned back easily in his chair secure in the knowledge that Gade had the pirate covered. She was leaned back slightly in her chair as well, a blaster strapped quick-draw style to her muscular right thigh within easy reach even though her arms were folded across to wide, armoured chest. Rehn had one of the quickest draws Quetad had ever seen. The young Thalcein soldier examined the pirate through dangerously narrowed, suspicious eyes, her ears laid flat back against her head.  
  
"I hear you're a man who can get things." Gellan said, his voice conversational, as though he were talking about buying a used speeder.  
  
"I've been know to come across things from time to time." the smuggler said, equally affable.   
  
"I'm in the market for some new toys." Quetad stated simply.  
  
"Well, now. It's been hard to keep toys on the shelf. Suppliers are rather reluctant to share with the little operators. Acquiring new merchandise has become a hazardous venture." Kreever countered with an easy smile, scratching his stubble covered chin in contemplation.   
  
"Life has become a hazardous venture lately." Gade said, her voice low and cool.  
  
"True enough." Deke Kreever said, his smile turning to a confidant smirk as he spread his hands in a gesture of sympathy "The Empire frowns on those who take its playthings from it. The Imps don't really like to share, and they've been having a tantrum of late. Liberating this last shipment of merchandise was rather costly to myself and my crew, and I would have to insist on being well compensated." Kreever watched Gade warily, careful to keep his manor friendly and unthreatening.   
  
The female Thalcein's frosty eyes never left him, in fact seemed to stair straight through him. Her velvet-like fur was a most intriguing shade of dappled gold, while her long broom-like tail, muzzle, forearms and the area around her large, intelligent eyes was as black as a starless night. She wore a battered bantha hide flight jacket under which was a green shirt that ended slightly below her ribs, exposing a generous portion of well muscled mid-drift. By the way the shirt was filled out, he could tell she was wearing body amour. Her three fingered hands sported fingerless black gloves, while a knotted purple bandana was tied around her left bicep. Her thick black forelock was pushed to one side of her forehead, and her black mane sported a brightly coloured bird's feather at the end of a single long, thin braid while the rest was pulled short and stood like a crest on her long, powerful neck. A white, comet shaped marking in the middle of her forehead lay between her widely spaced, mismatched eyes. It trailed a thin, 'tail' of white fur that ended in a lightning bolt of pink skin between the nostrils of her hairless black muzzle. Her long delicate ears, when not lying flat back against her head, rotated like small radar dishes, alert for any sigh of trouble. He could hear the lethal eight inch spurs on both heals of her three toed hooves carve at the central pedestal of their table. At only eighteen, she was probably the most lethal being in the cantina, aside from her companion. Gellan gave a reassuring nod. "You'll be well compensated my friend, if you have what we're looking for."  
  
"I think I might. Seventeen crates. Top of the line, all the bells and whistles. Here, I'll show you." Deciding to test the reflexes of the younger rebel a little, Deke reached nonchalantly for the blaster at his hip. Before his hand had even cleared the table, Gade's arm shot across the distance between them, her black velvet-furred hand grabbing his wrist in a crushing, vice-like grip. Her muzzled face was only inches from his, her lips pulled back from her large, squarish teeth in a silent but very real threat. No one in the cantina paid attention.  
  
"Easy, partner." the older rebel laid a restraining hand on her shoulder. Gade reluctantly released the smuggler, letting herself be pushed back in her chair.   
  
"Don't push your luck." Rehn growled low in warning..   
  
"Kriff… You do work with some hard-asses, don't you Quetad?." Kreever replied with a smile but with teeth gritted in discomfort, shaking his hand to get the blood flowing to his fingers again. He slowly removed his blaster with two fingers, the other hand was up, palm out in a gesture of placation. He slid the weapon across the table. Gade picked it up and checked it with an expert eye.  
  
"BlasTech RX-659 Razortooth, medium military sidearm." she said curtly "Imperials started using it about six months ago." Gade slid the weapon back to it's owner.  
  
"I'm impressed, you know your weapons kid. I've got six crates of these, seven of heavy anti-repulsortank type stuff and four of blaster rifles."  
  
"How much for all of it?" the senior rebel agent asked his face now a stone mask.  
  
"All of it? You guys must really be desperate." Kreever mused, eyebrow raised in speculation.  
  
"How much."  
  
"Fifty thousand." the smuggler replied sounding as though he had plucked the sum out of the air.  
  
"We'll give you thirty." Gellan countered.  
  
"Are you a comedian?" the Corellian asked, shaking his head " 'Cause if you are, you aren't very funny. Fifty, or the rebellion can throw rocks and sticks at the Empire for all I care."  
  
"Thirty-five." Quetad bartered.  
  
"Fifty or I walk."  
  
Gade slowly leaned forward again, one elbow on the table, her long graceful neck stretching across the distance between herself and the smuggler. "Thirty-five. Or you'll be explaining to your crew why you walk funny." The pirate sat bolt upright, his spine suddenly transformed into a durasteel rod. He had taken on a ashen look, his eyes wide in surprise.  
  
"You drive a hard bargain." the smuggler swallowed, suddenly breaking out in a visible sweat. Gellan thought he heard the man's voice crack. "Thirty-five it is. We'll meet at the old Imperial Customs warehouse. One hour."  
  
"We'll be there." Quetad nodded, keeping the confusion from his voice. Gade, relaxed, sitting back in her chair. Kreever pushed slowly from the table and walked away slightly bow legged. Quetad looked at his young lieutenant questioningly.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently as her hand came from under the table, holding a foot long combat vibroblade. It wasn't activated though her thumb covered the button high on it's handgrip.   
  
The pressure door of the decrepit former Customs warehouse opened with a rusty squeal.  
Weapon drawn, Gade stepped cat-like through the door, sharp eyes and sharper ears searching the poorly lit building. The building's offices were empty, dusty and silent, the cargo holding area was cluttered with dusty, empty shipping containers . Her hooved feet sent up small clouds of dust motes with every step. Quetad was close behind her, and at six foot four, towered over the young Thalcein who stood only five foot, eleven inches.   
  
"Welcome to my humble facilities." Kreever said with a dramatic flourish. He and his associates, a fidgety mouse-eared Sullustan, an angry looking black furred Deffel 'wraith' and a poker faced Twi'lek stood near the seventeen crates of weapons. They were all armed, but their weapons were holstered. Holstering her own weapon reluctantly, Gade stepped to Quetad's shoulder and spoke quietly as they walked to meet the pirates.  
  
"Boss, I have a bad feeling about this. Something doesn't feel right."  
  
"Steady, Rehn. I've dealt with them before. They're a little shifty, but sympathetic to our cause." Beside him, Gade tossed her head and snorted, not convinced.  
  
  
  
  
The two rebels stopped a short distance from Kreever and his men. Gade was tense and nervous, her eyes intently searching the warehouse. A gnawing feeling in her gut told her there was wrong. She was certain of it. Rehn had many such premonitions and hunches, and they had helped keep her alive. Quetad casually tossed the pirate a datapad.  
  
"Just punch in the numbers and our people transfer the funds to your accounts." he instructed.  
  
"Nice doing business with you." Kreever said with a quirky grin and mock saluted with the data pad. "Your associate has a rather interesting negotiating style. If you ever need a job kid, I could use someone with your particular talents."Gade did not reply, distracted. From above, a tiny sound, like metal on metal drifted down in the cool, dusty air. Rehn froze, long black broom-like tail flagged, her head tilted upwards, her ears erect and alert.   
  
Rehn watch two small, silver spheres materialize from the darkness above them, coming from the high, unseen rafters. She realized immediately what they were. Gade started, giving a great explosive warning snort, her knees bending like compressed steel springs, sharp hooved toes dug into the duracrete for traction. The others looked up with varying degrees of interest, wondering what had spooked her, as the young rebel grabbed her superior officer by the back of his jacket and hauled him after her. Kreever and his men realized what the falling objects were as the young Thalcein shied and bolted, and they scrambled to find cover. Rehn had managed three giant strides before the concussion detonators exploded eight feet above the warehouse floor with a blinding flash. Rehn pitched forward, Gellan backward, as the shock wave hit. The pirates and rebels lay still for a long moment, stunned and deafened by the blast. The young soldier was thrown into a pile of thick plastoid crating, a sharp edge gashing open her forehead and cheek and Rehn fought the blackness of unconsciousness that threatened to consume her.   
  
A brilliant flash of light lanced from the rafters above and hit the hairy Deffel who had just stumbled to his feet. He gave a snarl of pain as the blaster bolt burned through his chest, toppling him over backwards where he lay twitching. His Twi'lek friend soon joined him in death, half his head disappearing in a crimson bolt of coherent light. The Sullustan still had not moved from where the blast had thrown him against a pile of cast off rusted ship parts, a discarded coolant capacitor rod protruding several feet through his chest. Kreever made an graceless lunge for the safety of a pile of empty shipping crates, but made it only half way there before he too was burned down, dying with an undignified gurgle as he clawed at the smouldering hole between his shoulder blades.  
  
Gellan Quetad had once been heard to say that only an idiot feels no fear. His eyes were now wide with the stuff. The world was just swimming back into focus when a coil of line tumbled from the rafters above and dark figure rappelled down expertly using a waist harness. The figure was easily recognizable.   
"Kriff! Get out of here now, Lieutenant!" The senior rebel agent commanded as he fumbled for the blaster his concussed brain insisted he needed as Boba Fett drew down on him. Gellan's weapon cleared the leather of his holster and he snapped off a quick shot. The blast hit Fett centre mass but obliquely, and ricocheted off his armour as the hunter turned to the side at the last moment. Boba Fett's shot however, threw Gellan backward as if he had been slapped by an enormous hand, landing him near the semi-conscious Rehn who tried without success to simply move.   
  
Rehn saw Gellan fall out of the corner of her eye and even through the ringing in her ears, could hear him scream in agony. Gade tried to push herself up to help Quetad, her instincts and loyalty commanding her to move, but the blow to her head had traveled down her neck and jarred her spine, leaving her entire body numb and unresponsive.  
  
Quetad rolled into a fetal position, clutching his belly, his teeth gritted, eyes squeezed shut against the intense, burning pain. The aroma of charred meat, blood and worse fouled the air. He tried to remain lucid. Summoning the rest of his ebbing strength, his lips pulled back from his teeth in a ferocious snarl of anguish and hatred, Quetad rolled into a kneeling position to search for his dropped blaster, and found himself staring into the business end of Fett's blaster. He could hear Gade moan weakly off to his left. Gellan Quetad's breaths came in shallow, painful gasps. It was getting hard to concentrate.   
  
"When you get to hell," Gellan spat through bloody, clenched teeth, his eyes unfocused but still full of hate "I will be waiting." Fett's only reply was to fire again, ending the gut shot rebel's agony.   
  
Fett turned his attention to his true prize and was somewhat alarmed to see she was not moving, her face sporting two wide gashes and slick with blood. She was worth a lot of credits, but only alive and without permanent injury. She was worth nothing dead, and Fett's own well being would be in jeopardy should she expire prematurely. The hunter removed her long vibroblade and pulled her heavy blaster from its holster, checked the safety and removing the power supply before setting it aside. Putting the toe of his scuffed boot under her ribs , he turned her over slowly. She was limp, two hundred and forty-eight pounds of athletic dead weight, her eyes open and rolled back. Fett was mindful of her cunning and of her natural weapons- jaws that could crush his thigh like a twig and a kick powerful enough to crush stormtrooper armour as if it were egg shell. Her most formidable weapons, however, were the eight inch dagger-like 'spurs' that grew on her heels. Made of a substance much like keratin, it was much denser, strong as durasteel and kept razor sharp by constant use and honing. Fett carried more than one scar carved by Thalcein spurs.   
  
He watched her with caution, ready he felt for any surprises she might spring, keeping his blaster to one side but ready. Kneeling guardedly, his fingers touched the sweat and blood matted fur of her throat, searching for a pulse. Almost faster than Fett could react, Rehn's eerie eyes locked onto his visored face like a weapon system's target reticle. One of her hands shot towards his neck, the other for his gun arm, her teeth bared. Fett jerked back and she missed his throat, but managed to get hold of the underside of his helmet, yanking him forward and off balance. Her right foot posted itself into his chest as she pulled him over her prostrate body. He could feel all three of her sharp toes gauge at his armour. Gade rolled, using her powerfully muscled legs for leverage and throwing Fett off of her with a vicious kick. The hunter rolled with the momentum, landing in a awkward fighting stance, losing his weapon which skittered across the floor and now lay somewhere behind him- out of the rebel's reach, but out of his as well. Gade flipped herself to her feet, her knees swaying a little with the effort of staying vertical, her eyes unfocused.  
  
Rehn made a long feigning lunge and Fett gave ground as she advanced. She tried a low kick, meant to sweep the bounty hunter's legs from under him. Fett dodged nimbly, pivoting on his left foot, his right cocked and ready to strike. His heel caught her a solid blow to the jaw that spun her around. They fought in eerie silence, no threats, no bragging, only the young Thalcein's harsh, ragged breathing through distended nostrils, and Fett's more regular, controlled intakes.   
  
Rehn staggered back, wiping the new blood from her face. Fett came at her again before she could recover, landing a punch to her sternum that drove the air from her lungs. Staggered but otherwise ignoring the blow, she dove at the hunter, kicking at his mid-section in an attempt to eviscerate him. Her spur grated the armor on his abdomen, leaving a new foot-long scar on the already battered equipment. Fett gave a grunt as he was driven back against a high stack of crates by the power of the blow. Gade pressed her attack. Unable to get to his chest or throat because of his armor, striking a mortal blow to the bounty hunter would be difficult. But not impossible. With fierce battle cry that broke the deathly silence and echoed off the walls of the building like a great bronze bell, Gade let loose a lightning swift kick aimed for where her opponent's groin and thigh connected, the place where the human's femoral artery was most vulnerable.   
  
Fett realized, almost to late, the peril he was in. He dodged to the left, his only real option because of the angle of the kick, and felt the scalpel-like spur slash deeply into his thigh close to his knee. Putting aside his pain for the moment, Fett waited until Gade's back was turned for the fraction of a second it took to follow through with the roundhouse kick. He struck like a diving bird of prey, driving his heel into the back of her knee. Gade squealed in pain as the joint gave out with a wet, telltale pop. Fett pressed on, slamming his fist into the place where the back of her head and neck met. Rehn fell face first onto the floor stunned, her legs kicking out spasmodically. Limping, Fett jammed his right knee between her shoulder blades, his left pinning Gade's arm to the ground. Her arm already twisted at an odd angle, the pressure caused white hot agony in her shoulder. Gade gave a bellow of protest, the sound of two great rusted chunks of metal grating together. Her head whipped around savagely, jaws agape and ready to crush whatever part of the hunter's body was closest. Planting his hand squarely between her widely spaced eyes, he shoved her head to the floor and heard a loud 'click' as her jaws slammed shut.   
  
Reaching into a belt pouch with his free hand, Fett pulled out a syringe containing a small amount of viscous amber liquid. Pulling off the plastoid keeper that covered the needle, he jabbed it deftly into Rehn's long neck. The syringe immediately began to fill with dark, blue-purple blood, telling him that he had found a major vein. The young rebel snorted, thrashing violently with panic, only succeeding in driving the needle deeper. The drug burned as it entered her bloodstream and Gade could feel her muscles begin to relax against her will as the world around her began to fade to black.  
  
Fett felt his hard merchandise succumbing to the drug, a powerful sedative used by the Empire to keep violent prisoners under control. Her breathing stabilized from hard rasping pants into soft, deep rhythms as her ears flopped off to either side and she lost consciousness. Fett pushed himself to his feet, exhausted. His wound bled profusely, throbbing enough to make him grit his teeth in pain. He relieved Kreever of his shirt and used it as a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding.   
  
Fett summoned his ship, Slave 1, with the com gear in his fearsome helmet, and used the minutes before it arrived to police the bodies for anything of value. While the pirate captain's men were worthless, Kreever and Gade's partner had moderate bounties on their heads, or what was left of their heads at any rate, and the weapons would be returned to the Empire for a substantial finders fee. His real prize, however, was the unconscious Thalcein. She was worth half a million credits alive and without permanent or debilitating injury.   
  
While Rehn Gade was not the youngest piece of merchandise he had ever been hired to collect, she was however one of the more challenging opponents he had faced for some time. His prey, if they were a live capture, would usually surrender, cowering at his feet begging for mercy. She on the other hand had attacked him, not showing fear until she knew she had been beaten. Rehn was brave and resourceful, he would give her that, and she'll need it where she's going, he thought.   
  
He had assembled an impressive database on her through his extensive contacts, so that he had been relatively well prepared for the eventual capture. An expert terrorist, Gade was a lethal machine. She and her partner had been responsible for multiple bombings of Imperial installations, the assassination of key military officials and the high jacking of a number of Imperial supply ships. Any one of those crimes was enough to earn her a long, unpleasant interrogation session and eventual execution, and Fett held the only license issued to bring her in.   
  
Fett glanced at his prey. He would, he reflected, have to do something about the lacerations on her face, and would have to manhandle the dislocate knee back into joint, but Thalcein were quick healers. Her wounds were superficial and would heel in the time it would take for him to rendezvous with his client and collect his fee. Boba Fett did not often work for the Emperor's enforcer, Darth Vader, but when he did, it was always a profitable venture. Fett sat on an empty cargo crate to tend to his wound with the small emergency med-kit and waited for his ship to arrive.  
  
The vibration and sounds of the ship were the first sensations Rehn felt. The second was the ache of her knee and the sticky feeling of bacta patches on her face. She could feel the soft material of her short sleeved shirt against her sensitive hide and slowly realized that her armoured chest plate had been removed. Her body was sluggish to comply with her brain's instructions. She lay on her left side and could feel the tube-like restraint that covered her from hands to elbows, immobilizing her arms. They were linked by a four foot length of chain to shackles that encircled her ankles, just above her spurs. Her shoulders ached and her fingers were numb. She opened her eyes slowly and almost panicked when all she saw was darkness, and thought she'd been blinded. The black cloth bag over her head was tied securely under her jaw where it and her throat met. It covered her face from behind her chin to the back of her head, leaving her nostrils and muzzle uncovered. Rehn was groggy, nauseous and her head spun -after effects of the sedative Fett had pumped into her. She tried to remember what had happened to her and how she had gotten into her present predicament. She searched her memory and as though from a dream, a battered olive drab helmet with a slit, t-shaped visor stood out from the other jumbled images. As she tried to concentrate, Gade became aware of- could feel -a malevolent presence and faintly heard breathing, muffled as though processed by a filter. She could feel him watching her. He stood by the bars of her cell, watching her with frigid professional interest.   
  
Her mouth was dry, her tongue a thick wool blanket in her mouth and she champed her teeth to get her salivary glands working. A face suddenly came into focus in her mind's eye with painful clarity. A face grimaced in pain and fierce determination. Panicked, Gade gave a quiet, whinnying call in her native tongue, a call to from one separated warrior to another. No one answered.   
  
She remembered Gellan falling and had felt his pain as though it was her own. Then there had come a great emptiness, as though some important part of her had been removed. She had felt something like it, only a deeper and more profound sense of loss once before, but could not recall why or where. Although she did not know why, she could always feel when Quetad had been near. Now, she felt nothing. She closed her eyes tightly in grief, exhaling as though she would not breath again. Fett unlocked and opened Gade's cage, a IV bag of saline and sugar in one hand, an injection gun of sedative in the other. Rehn heard his muffled footsteps on the deck and the muscles in her neck tightened, a coiled snake ready to strike. As he knelt by her head, she made a blind, clumsy strike, her crushing teeth closing on nothing but air. The hunter put down the intravenous bag and pushed her head gently to the deck with his empty hand. Her breathing became harsh and nervous, rasping through her distended nostrils. Boba Fett put the injector to her bicep and pulled the trigger, giving her a shot of mild tranquilizer. Gade's head jerked back in surprise and she thrashed feebly, too exhausted and dehydrated to even push Fett off balance. Once the tranq took effect and his hard merchandise had relaxed, Fett threaded the IV needle into the artery in the young rebel's sweat matted neck and taped it in place. Holding the bag above her, the bounty hunter watched it slowly drain into his prize. This, he reflected in annoyance, is why I hate hunting these damn things. Thalcein were notoriously hard to keep alive in captivity. They refused to eat, drink or cooperate in any way. When captured, unless sedated, most found new and interesting ways to get themselves killed, usually taking some of their captors with them. Most became so violent they purposely forced their captors to shoot them. Slavers had once tried lobotomizing their merchandise, but the procedure killed the females and made the larger males even more aggressive.   
  
The Thalcein had been openly and boisterously opposed to the Emperor, but being a tough, well equipped and determined foe, along with their uselessness as a slave species had doomed the Thalcein. The Empire had engineered a virus, lethal only to the large, hooved bipeds and had unleashed it on their home world and colonies. It was 98% lethal and had driven the Thalcein to virtual extinction within a decade.   
  
The IV bag emptied and Fett left Gade to her uneasy dreams.  
  
"These are the alternate drop off coordinates. Your fee will be paid upon our confirmation that the prisoner is alive and without permanent damage." The holo of a tall Imperial army major named Selkin who was beginning to thicken around the middle, spoke in a haughty voice, his opinion of bounty hunters so apparent it may as well have been written on his forehead. Fett's teeth ground in irritation.  
  
"That was not the arrangement that was agreed upon. I am to deliver the merchandise to Lord Vader, in person. I do not like last minute changes." Boba Fett kept his voice cold and devoid of emotion, though the annoyance he felt was growing.  
  
"I care little for your feelings on this matter, bounty hunter." Selkin stated "These orders came from Lord Vader himself. I have not lived to serve the Empire this long by being foolish enough to question his commands."  
  
Fett growled, stabbing the transmitter button and severing the link before the Selkin could continue his diatribe. The hunter was not happy. He did not like dealing with Imperial officers any more than he liked dealing with Hutts. Like the Hutts, the Imps had a habit of not keeping their word and not wanting to pay the full, agreed upon price for the merchandise he had worked hard to collect. He did not intend to get short changed this time. Fett cut out his hyperdrive and the tunnel of light around his ship turned from starlines into normal-space within the shipping lanes of some backwater world called Heberk. Feeding the new course into the Slave 1's navacomputer and waited for the ship to do the math.  
  
  
  



	2. Legacy

Captain Corliss stood on the bridge of his Imperial-class star destroyer and watched as the star lines appeared and formed themselves into the small white dots of distant systems, not all of which were controlled by the Empire. This was disturbing. He had been called off his normal duty near the comfortable Core worlds to the decidedly rustic Rim to pick up a prisoner for the Lord Darth Vader, He missed the Core Worlds - the very heart of order and respectability - already. Being even this close to the Outer Rim unsettled him. Too many aliens with twists visions of reality and justice, and he would soon have one of them befouling his ship. _What did I do to deserve this? _His eyes fell onto the back of the sensor officer who was trying to look unimportant down in the crew pit. "Well? Report!"

"Sir, there is nothing on the passive scanners. Going active....wait I have a signal. Looks like a message pod."

"Scan it for explosives then bring it on board." He sighed heavily, expressing his disgust in having to deal with lowly scum like bounty hunters in the first place." Make sure that the thing has no explosive devices on it before you bring it aboard my ship. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll go advise Lady Vader of the situation." He tugged lightly on his uniform and curtly turned, snapping his heels and walking off the bridge. He traveled the pristine companionways of his Destroyer, the bulkheads painted spotless Imperial white, the black deck plates polished to a high shine. At Rage's door he hesitated, clearing his voice then tapping the com." Lady Vader? We've arrived." On the other side of the door, Rage groaned and leaned over one of the two stormtroopers she was nestled between. She hit the com button." Is Fett here?"

"No m'Lady, you see..."

"Then why are you bothering me?" The voice was deep and slipped from her tongue seductively. It also held enough threat to make his skin crawl.

"He seems to have left a message pod." Corliss replied. 

She sighed and let her head fall on the chest of the man laying beneath her. "Understood. I'll be out shortly." She snapped off the com and growled lightly as she sat up cracking her back. One of the men rolled over and she kicked him out of the bed. He hit the floor with a loud thud. "Get up, you're going to be late for patrol." All she heard was a low moan as she slipped off the bed and headed towards the refresher. After a quick shower she stepped out to find the stormtroopers gone and Reg, her long suffering guardian and friend, leaning against the food unit. He held up an empty vile that used to contain glitterstim spice. "I thought you were going to lay off this stuff."

"Yeah and I thought I was vacation on Cardia, strange, eh?" Rage Vader, Darth Vader's adopted daughter, replied smartly. Reg sighed and threw the vile away. She smiled at him and poured herself a stiff liquid breakfast. "You really have to stop trying to mother me. It'll put you in an early grave." She swallowed the drink and putting either hand on the counter and lowering her head. Ever so gently she stretched out with that special part of her mind and touched the Force gently, if she was stroking a small bird. The reaction was immediate and the spice drained from her system and her body felt renewed. She sucked in a deep breath of air and allowed the gently hum of life throughout the ship to enter her senses. Reg watched in silence. "Shall we go see if Fett left me a love letter?"

Fett was not about to deal with the Imperials on their terms and had left jump coordinates for an alternate exchange site. Corliss hadn't been impressed, but in Lady Vader's presence, had kept his opinions on bending to the bounty hunters wishes to himself. The captain was even less happy when Fett's ship was given clearance to take up space on his Star Destroyer. 

Rage and Corliss stepped out into the docking bay as Fett walked down the ramp of his ship, weapon drawn and resting across his arms. The hunter nodded in greeting to the Sith "Rage. If they would have told me you were in charge of the exchange I would of been a little more cooperative." Fett voice was cool and filtered through his helmet. 

Rage smiled approached the bounty hunter. "Oh knock it off Fett, otherwise I'm going to get all mushy and cry. Where is she?" He nodded his head and they stepped into his ship, a medic close behind them. Rage looked down at the restrained prisoner, who appeared to be drugged. "Fett, I'm impressed." she stood aside to allow the medic into the cell.

The med tech knelt uneasily near Gade and examined her briefly, then got up and stepped away. The young Thalcein hadn't moved, her breathing relaxed. "She's in good health though a little on the dehydrated side." Two stormtroopers stepped in and grunted as they pulled the heavy, compact Thalcein out onto the docking bay floor and Rage watched with growing interest. Something was nagging at her, just beyond her reach- a Force clue, but it wasn't in warning of danger...for her at least. She handed Fett his payment chip, not taking her eyes off the blindfolded captive. Corliss stepped up to Gade and knelt down on one knee to get a closer look at her face. "What an ugly species." he muttered.

Rage snorted. "Actually Captain, the Thalcein are thought to be one of the more beautiful and graceful species in the known galaxy, not that I'm suggesting you take her into your bed or anything. She'd break you in half." The strike came quick as lightening, and Rage was only a second ahead of her, sparing the Captain his life but not a great deal of pain. Rage felt a Force tug and reached out yanking Corliss away from the short, muscular alien. Gade's head snapped out and would of gotten hold of his throat had he not been pulled away, but caught the man's ankle instead. Despite the Captain's heavy leather boot, the sound of grinding bone was almost as gut wrenching as Corliss's scream of pain as Rehn's teeth crushed his ankle, her jaw locking. Fett stood watching as Rage sat the screaming Imperial officer on his behind and slammed her knee in the space between Gade's eyes. The filly gave a pain filled groan, but did not let go of the bleeding officer.

"I'm sorry to do this to you. I know he really, _really_ had that coming but seasoned destroyer captains don't just fall out of the stars." Rage's voice was low and quiet, almost sounding apologetic. She slipped a gloved hand in the small space between the Thalcein's molars and front teeth, squeezing the pressure point within her mouth. Gade's mouth opened in pain and she shook her head as Corliss jerked his mutilated ankle out of reach. Rage backed away with Force driven speed as Gade lunged for her as well. She stood looking down at the growling prisoner until Fett finally got her attention.

"Well you seem to know what you're doing. The binders are a gift." he intoned, his dead voice betraying no emotion.

"Okay, thanks Fett. I'll call you some time." Rage replied, not even looking at him as he walked back to his ship.

"Don't bother. I'm working." was the cold reply. The ramp closed behind him and Slave1 powered up, gliding from the docking bay and into the vacuum of space beyond, jumping to hyperspace the moment he cleared the ship's shield.

Rage paid no attention to Corliss's screams and the medic and stormtrooper helped him to the medical wing as four Imperial Guards stepped into the docking bay. They stood nearby waiting for orders, dressed in the innocuous crimson commando uniforms that they wore when on special duty. Rage knelt down once more, touching the exhausted Gade with the force, feeling fear and hate radiate off the young soldier like heat from a plasma fire. 

"Easy there, rebel. Those are some pretty strong emotions." Rage was just out of her reach, and the Sith's voice was quiet, almost thoughtful. She stood and motioned for the Imperial Guards to bring Rehn to the ship's detention centre. This was turning out to be quite interesting. 

****

-Kelly Black-


	3. Legacy

Rehn lay quietly on her side in the cell. Her head ached from the blow she had taken from the one called Rage. The young rebel rolled into a seated position with a grunt. Leaning against the wall behind her, she reached up with a long right leg hooking the blunt, leading edge of her spur under the tie down of the blindfold. With a growl Gade threw her head back, yanking the hood roughly from her face. The young Thalcein came to wish she hadn't been so hasty though, as her eyes were assaulted by harsh white light. She had not seen illumination of any sort for over a week, and she squeezed her mismatched eyes shut in pain and it took almost ten minutes before her eyes acclimated. The muzzle that held her powerful jaws shut was another matter, and try as she might, she could not wrestle it off. She got to her feet, stretching out cramped and bruised muscles, her long neck and back making cracking sounds as she did. The binders she wore kept her shoulder joints bent back and they were starting to ache fiercely. The cell was bare, except for a shatterproof glow panel.  


__

What the hell is going on here? Rehn thought. _Why am I still alive? _By all rights, she should be as dead as poor Gellan. The loss still hit her hard. He had been her first partner- her mentor, but she knew she could not dwell on his death. The best way to grieve was to escape and rejoin the Alliance and continue to fight the Empire. That's what she had been taught - you aren't beaten until you are dead. 

Her angry mind focused on her surroundings and she began to take stock of her situation. Cell- she couldn't hear anything, and could only feel the vibrations of the ship itself -soundproof she concluded. One door, one glow panel, otherwise featureless and sterile. Why wasn't she being interrogated? What were they waiting for? Those were the next question. The Imperials were usually not courteous enough for the subject to awaken on their own terms, usually just shooting them up with enough stimulant to bring them to painful, nauseous consciousness. And who was the woman in charge? She had faintly heard Fett say 'Rage'... The woman's smooth voice played over in Gade's head like a corrupted holo file. It came to her slowly, a briefing she'd had over a year ago about the major players in the Imperial hierarchy. Rehn's heart grew cold in her chest. _Lady_ Rage **_Vader_**...the adopted daughter of Darth Vader.. Gade couldn't recall the particulars about the Sith Princess, but knew that she was in a galaxy of trouble. There was something about the young woman that made her skin crawl, though she couldn't put a finger on it. Rehn's head began to spin, and she leaned heavily against the wall opposite the cell's pressure door. Her mouth was dry and her tongue grated like sandpaper in her mouth. She made a mental check of her physical condition next, and realized had not eaten in a while, long enough to make the hunger pains go away and had dropped some weight. She was also dehydrated, which accounted for the dizziness and nausea. She was not in the best of condition, and that would only make escape more difficult. Add to the fact she was being held on an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer, and the odds were beginning to look pretty bleak. _Don't think about that_ her mental voice chastised _you'll either escape or die trying_. 

The door opened with a 'whoosh' of pneumatics abruptly enough to make the young agent jump, her head snapping in it's direction. She straightened herself, breathing in deep, angry rhythms and tried to look more intimidating than she felt. She gave an explosive snort, her cold, mismatched eyes fierce. Two large men stepped silently through the entrance, their eyes not wavering from her. They wore the commando style crimson uniform of the Royal Guard and were at least a head taller than the young Thalcein. Rehn's eyes narrowed, her ears lying flat against her neck, teeth bared despite the muzzle as she backed into a corner of the cell. Her feet were set apart, shoulder width, knees bent, her toes seeming to knead the durasteel under them. The fear she felt was an almost tangible thing, raw, but hidden under her natural aggression. The Imperial Guard where the elite of the elite, and tales of their skills legendary in the rebel Black Ops community. This was the first time she had seen a Guardsman, and while even stormtroopers would think twice about attacking her in less than squad strength, the two Guardsmen in her cells seemed unconcerned. Another figure stepped through the door. Tall, athletically built, with raven hair and fierce black eyes that reminded Rehn of a serpent's, the woman fixed Gade with an appraising look. 

Gade's skin began to twitch fiercely as though it would crawl off her body and her heart hammered in her chest. Sith.... Rehn remembered stories of the Sith, and the rumours of power that both Vader and this woman wielded. _You'll either escape, or die trying_... Gade snorted again harshly, tossing her head and shaking the crest of her neck in threat, her matted black tail lashing like an angry living fire.

"If I wanted you dead Gade, you would have been stuffed and mounted on my wall when you first got here. Just be a good little shrag and come along quietly." Rage could feel the Rebel's hate and fear rolling off her like a delicious wave. A cruel smile touched her lips as she reached out with the Force to touch Gade's mind, to see if she could turn they young warrior's fear into a weapon. Rage knew the young rebel was going to be difficult to control. The Thalcein did not adapt well to captivity and even though Rehn was dehydrated and weakened, it apparently was not enough to snuff, or even dim, her fire. It was a thankfully short walk to the medical bay, and Rage intended to get her there if she had to drag Gade by the tail. Lord Vader had been adamant - Gade was to be kept alive, and no failures would be tolerated. "Take her to sick bay." she instructed the Guardsmen, as Rage reached into the young Thalcein's mind, intending to tweak her fears until she became a paralysed by them. Rage wanted to see the young warrior cower in fear, like other rebels who'd been unfortunate enough to enjoy her hospitality. This open defiance and aggression was most irritating.

As the two Guardsmen approached, Rehn felt something cold, like a dead hand, touch her mind, unlike anything she had ever felt before and Gade fought down a sudden, inexplicable surge of panic that threatened to make her shrink away from the two advancing men. _Mind tricks...don't give in.. You aren't beaten 'till you're dead.._. She gave a bellow, a noise that sounded like two rusted hunks of metal grating against each other and shook her head violently, squeezing her eyes shut as her head began to ache.

The mental blow may as well have been physical. Rage felt the wind driven from her lung as if she had just been hit by a speeder, as though Gade's mind had just slammed shut to her, shoving her violently away in an effort to protect itself. Rage staggered and fell from the power of the mental blast, and Rehn, eyes now open and angry, saw her opportunity as one of the crimson uniformed Guards turned to help the fallen Sith. Gade struck like a diving falcon, lunging forward with frightening speed, her right leg slashing out in a blur, her spur catching the advancing human across the belly and felt her weapon cut through his armour as though it were paper. She ignored his screams of agony, bolting headlong for the door and out into the corridor.


	4. Legacy

Rage got to her feet in a fury. With one hand she ripped the Imperial guard that had moved to help her off his feet and threw him against the far wall. She let out a burst of purple charged force lightening out into the hall, bringing several stormtroopers on routine patrol to their knees. Their lungs fried, they fell over and tore off their helmets, their agonized screams silent in their throats as Rage rushed out into the hall in time to watch Rehn's shadow disappeared around the corner. She swore evenly in Sith as she pulled her sabre and hurtled the fallen stormtroopers. She stopped near a control panel and slammed her fist through the glass, punching the escape alarm. A high pitched shriek could be heard throughout the ship. The docking bay was close, and it appeared Gade was making full speed in that direction.

"If I lose, her and Vader finds out, I might as well postal my own ass off to the Rim...I'll never eat a Tuskain gravy steak on Imperial Centre again. "She reached the over-viewer of the docking bay and jumped. It was a good twenty foot drop but she rolled out of the impact and her eyes darted around the cluttered docking bay before she slid into the shadows and closed her eyes. Rage drew on the Force and felt her hearing expand. Every scuffed foot was agony but there was something else out there.. she locked on it and filtered out everything but the one sound. The ragged breathing was as clear as the alarm klaxon as she moved on silent feet towards where the Thalcein was hiding behind a crate. Rehn was still trying to get out of her restrains, and Rage quickened her step hoping to get to the rebel soldier before dislocated her own shoulder in the attempt, requiring a short vacation in a bacta tank. Rage suddenly froze as she felt a pull in the Force. Something had changed, She could feel it - a blossom of hope, where there had only been angry desperation before. Rage's eyes narrowed as Gade edge out from her hiding spot, free of her binders and muzzle. With two giant strides the Sith jumped atop the closest crate and made her way over, getting a birds eye view of young rebel.

The restraints were laying near a load lifter. Rehn had used the long sharpened prongs of the cargo lifter to crack the casing and pry open the restraints. Rage was seriously impressed, both with her ingenuity and her strength. She stepped to the edge and watched as Gade looked around, looking for a likely means of escape in the different ships that were settle throughout the bay. The Thalcein's mind was closed to any probes, but her body language was enough to show her anxiousness. Her skin rippled and sweat matted down the normally soft fur. Her ears moved, one cocked to the side the other behind her. She snorted softly and it was apparent was having a hard time not shifting her feet. Rage held her breath and then dropped, intending to strike the young warrior on top of the head with bother feet. Even in her weakened state, Gade was alert and caught the flash of movement before the strike could topple her, throwing herself backwards against a crate, allowing for a greater distance between herself and her enemy. Her ears flew back as she bared her teeth and kicked out with her powerfully muscled leg. Rage was ready and somersaulted through the air, landing easily on her feet. She moved in close to Gade and smashed the butt of her lightsabre against the side of Rehn's face, then grabbed her by where her head and neck met in a choke-hold, keeping the filly's body close to hers so that Gade couldn't bite and pulled the young warrior up off her feet up so she could not strike at her with her spurs. What she didn't figure on was Rehn thrashing so violent as to slam bother herself and Rage into the nearest bulkheal. Rage felt a rib snap and lost the grip on Rehn's throat meant stop the airflow to the Thalcein's lungs until she became passive.

Freed from the vice-like grip, Rehn punched at the human, catching Rage in the shoulder as the Sith tried to dodge. Rage fell and drew her blaster, set for stun, and aimed it at the Thalcein's short but powerful form, but Rehn kicked out with her spur and speared the blaster barrel, destroying it. Rage threw it instead, hitting Rehn in the face and using the distraction to get out from under her deadly feet. She rolled, barely avoiding being stomped into the deck. Rehn spun and headed towards one of the closest ships, a personal shuttle that had just docked. She bolted towards the small ship as the ramp came down. Her teeth bared, she rushed into the shadows or the shuttle's entryway only to be met by a hard kick to the chest that sent her back the way she'd come. She slid down the ramp clutching her ribs and looked up to see a huge hooded figure stepped into the light. The hood concealed all but the tip of his muzzle and sowly he drew it back to reveal the long, chiselled face of a strikingly handsome Thalcein male, a large lightsabre gripped tightly in his right hand while a somewhat smaller one was clipped to his belt. He looked down at her, his ears cocked ahead and to one side as if he were amused.

"Going some where young one? We only just met and already you're running away." The stallion said, his voice deep and smooth, his eyes sliding over her in a manner that made her feel sick. He looked up as Rage stepped out of the shadows and clipped her sabre to her belt, standing in a manner that kept the filly trapped between them.. "Most impressive, Lady Vader. Not often a human goes hand to hand with a Thalcein and get to walks away." Rage shrugged looking at him.

"I'm more than human. I'm Sith. You're late."

"My apologizes but I had a few things to collect before I met the young one here." Drakahn said with a leering smile at the Sith woman and patting the smaller lightsabre on his belt..

****

-Kelly Black-


	5. Legacy

Rehn sat in an undignified heap at Drakahn's feet, looking up at him, mouth open in what might have been shock. Drakahn was huge, at least seven feet tall, boasting muscles human power lifters would envy. He looked down at her with a malevolent green-eyed stare, a cruel smile touching his lips. Rehn shook off her shock and scrambled backwards away form him, but still trapped between him and the Sith. Something about him was familiar, but any memory of him eluded her. The lower left side of her rib cage ached fiercely, but she ignored it. _You know the best part about pain?... lets you know you aren't dead yet_.. How many times had she heard that in training? _If you are alive, you can still fight.. pain makes you angry.. Get angry, get mad, it will help you survive._

Drakahn's face betrayed no emotion as he watched her get to her feet. _She doesn't recognize me.. _he realized. If she had, she was hiding it well and hiding body language was not a Thalcein strong suit. The huge stallion stepped arrogantly down the shuttle's ramp, his head high, neck arched. His flaxen mane was short and stood in a neat, upright crest along his thick bright chestnut neck, his huge spurs clicking on the deck as he moved. In normal Thalcein society, Rehn would be considered a child, while Drakahn would be just entering his prime. 

She had heard stories of the Lakeeta, the clan that had collaborated with the Empire and where hated by the rest of their species as traitors. Lakeeta males were generally larger than average and were considered dishonourable barbarians by warriors of other Clans. Something about him seemed to call her to him. Granted he was not unpleasant to look at, for a traitor, but something invisible called to her, cajoled her, told her to quit fighting and just accept her fate. 

Gade snorted, her face uncertain. Rage felt a strong disturbance in the Force, like the one she had experienced when Rehn's mind had angrily severed their contact back in the cell. She looked sidelong at Drakahn, expecting him to be struck by the same invisible force she had. If he had been, he didn't show it. 

"Who are you, traitor." they were the first words the young Thalcein had spoken since Rage had first laid eyes on her. It was not a question, it was a demand. There was no confusion in her voice, only hatred and suspicion- Gade was regaining her composure. 

Drakahn did not answer at first. He had wondered why she had not instantly recognised him. She should have. He had driven his lightsabre through her mother's body as a young Rehn had been forced to watch. It wasn't something one typically forgot. Now he found his answer. _Barryk, you surprise me. _Drakahn thought with actual surprise. _Maybe you are more skilled than I gave you credit for... _Her memories of the event had been forced deep into a dark, barricaded corner of her mind. The moment he had touched it, he had been hit with a Force blow that, had he not been ready, could have done him some serious damage. Only a fully trained Jedi could have done something so complicated as specific memory suppression. Had Barryk not done it properly, it could have done irreparable damage to her mind, causing psychosis or even death.

"I am the one who will show you your true path, child." He said evenly, challenging her with a glance.

"The only thing you are going to show me is what you look like as a corpse." Gade snarled in reply, her bravado returning. 

"What I will show you is that your mouth will cause you much trouble, brat. Disrespect for your superiors will not be tolerated." The Dark Jedi said, his voice deathly cold. Drakahn made a slow gesture with his hand, as if he where holding something and was every so slowly tightening his grip on it. Rage knew the gesture well, and watched as first Gade's nostrils started to flare as she began to find it harder to breath, then as she clawed desperately at her throat as she fell to her knees. The young Thalcein gaped like a stranded fish, her eyes wide, legs kicking out weakly as she dropped to the floor. Drakahn closed the distance between them and stood over her. He knelt on one knee and spoke softly, his lips brushing her ear gently.

"The second thing I will show you is that resistance is pointless. Disobedience will not be tolerated, little one. Punishment will be swift and harsh. Know this - you are mine to do with as I please until I turn you over to Lord Vader." he finished, his eyes narrowing, his lips twisting into a frightening smirk. It was the last thing Rehn heard before the world around her faded to black.

********

Rage walked at his shoulder as the she escorted him to his quarters. Huge as he was, Drakahn moved almost silently, save for the 'click' of his large spurs on the deck plates. He moved with athletic and fluid grace, his emerald green eyes alert and intelligent. His whole demenor oozed arrogance and control. Stormtroopers had taken Gade to the ship's medical facilities, where she had been heavily sedated and treated for dehydration and the three cracked ribs she had sustained from Drakahn's kick.

"It was an impressive speech Drakahn, but I don't think tell her 'resistance is pointless' is going to work. I've rarely seen such defiance in one so young." Rage said, her voice somewhat thoughtful . Drakahn turned his head slightly to look down at her as he spoke.

"She will learn. Lady Vader, or she will suffer. Once she has learned her place, once she has been mentally and physically beaten into submission, it will be a simple matter to turn her to the Dark Side." The bright chestnut furred Thalcein said. From the tone of his voice, Rage could tell he enjoyed thinking about it. 

"The Lakeeta don't have much use for female warriors, Do they?" Rage said with a smirk, a black eyebrow raised questioningly. Drakahn's impressive teeth shone in a predatory smile.

"Oh, females have their_ uses._ Most female Thalcein make poor warriors m'Lady, though Rehn is an exception." Drakahn replies thoughtfully "She seems to have been well schooled, though I look forward to continuing her education..." The look that came into his eyes sent a shiver up Rage's back.

********

Davin Felth dried himself thoroughly, taking great pains not to drip water on the floor of the refresher. The regimental Sargent-Major had given his whole section a royal ass-chewing over not keeping their squad bay squared away, even though it had been impeccably clean when the inspection had taken place. Just one more tactic to keep them in line, disciplined and confused, he supposed. Wrapping the towel around him, he padded across the cool deck plates from the 'fresher to his bunk. The only thing that separated the two what about half a bulkhead. Throwing on some 'off-duty' clothes, Felth made his way to the rec area. Other than a large Holovid screen and some card tables and chairs, there was little in the room - stormtroopers rarely had much leisure time. A group of a dozen corporals-and-under sat around one of the tables. One of the men waved Felth over.

"I've never seen anything like it. Cut right through his armour and gutted him like a Corellian bloat fish. They say the Guardsmen are the best of the best, but I'm tellin you, he didn't have time to blink before his lunch and what had been holding it inside him was lying on the floor." Felth recognized the man who was speaking. He was a trooper from 12th Squad. He thought the man's name may have been Kual. 

"What's going on?" ask Felth as he sat in an empty chair next to Brend, the trooper who had waved him over.

"Some of the guys got a look at the prisoner that we picked up a couple of days ago. Fett supposedly brought it in."

"It?" Felth asked questioningly, though by the way 'it' was referred to, he already knew the prisoner wasn't human.

"It's a shrag." Kual answered. Felth still looked confused.

"Damn boy, didn't you learn anything at the Academy?" Kual asked, shaking his head in mock sadness. 

"He means a Thalcein." Brend said, solving the mystery.

"I've never seen one before."

"Not many people have. They're pretty rare. This one killed a Royal Guardsman, assaulted Lady Vader and was running loose for about a half hour. Supposedly she's got a wrap sheet half as long as this ship." Brend explained.

"Kriff! Did you it was a female?" another trooper asked.

"Oh yeah" another trooper nodded with a smile. "it's a female. Greffis in 9th Squad supposedly got a good look at her. Said she looked as good coming as going. All muscle and moves like a cat. Course, none of us has seen a female in how long? Anything starts to look good after a while." No one mentioned Rage, not that her nocturnal habits were any kind of secret, and not that she wasn't beautiful, they just never talked about her in any other context besides professional.

"I heard from a couple of guys that Lord Drakahn got here on a VIP shuttle this afternoon." another trooper added. Some of the troopers shivered at the mention of the dark Jedi's name. Everyone in the Empire knew of the Death's Messenger, the Emperor's _other_ enforcer, the one Palpatine usually used to convey his displeasure with any of his senior military staff.

"It's a bloody infestation!" They all laughed.

"She's supposedly got a bit of an attitude to.. damn near ripped Capt. Corliss's legs off when they first brought her on board." another man interjected.

"They should turn her over to us for a couple hours, then see how energetic she is." Kual said with a sadistic smile. They all laughed


	6. Legacy

Rage watched as the technician who'd left the load lifter that Rehn had used to free herself from her restraints parked in the docking bay, fell to the floor clutching his throat and his eyes popped from their sockets and laid on his cheeks. Two deck officers stepped forward and carried him away. Drakahn looked up from the monitor that displayed Gade resting in the medical facilities. His nose flared as he took in the smell of blood and death. 

He looked over to where Rage stood watching them drag off the dead trooper."You know if you didn't terrify them and get their heart rates going, their eyes wouldn't pop out like that."

She shrugged her bare shoulders as she turned back to the communications equipment. "Hmph. I think it looks cool." Actually she loved tearing into their minds and plucking at different parts of their brains. It was like a science project.

His green eyes slid over her; in so many ways still like a child, yet so powerful. She was clothed in commando like gear. Most likely the closest she ever came to casual wear- a muscle shirt with commando pants and a small blaster was strapped to her upper arm but looked unused. A black vibroblade blended into the colour of her black pants, only a chunk of what looked like shiny black tape caught the light revealing that it was even there amongst the many pockets and loose folds of the garment. Her sabre was clipped to her belt within easy reach. Unlike most Jedi the bottom was secured so it would not swing against her leg.

They were in an alcove just off the bridge and Drakahn observed how the crew reacted to her with both deep fear and a kind of smothered loathing. A high ranking Imperial _woman_ who dares to demand respect and walks around in anything other than a gender smoothering Imperial uniform. A woman who could kill with merely a thought or when the mood struck her, and what none of them but Drakahn realized was that she did it all on purpose.

The bridge bustled with activity, alive with a kind of aggressive energy. Unlike Lord Vader's ship, where the crew all stalked around with ulcer causing fear wedge in their weak bellies, Lady Vader ran a charged ship. In the crew pits, the young officers would look up and catch a look at her every once and awhile. They feared her but that fear was over toned with a kind of curiosity, and she was perfectly aware of it. Only the Captain, Corliss, seemed immune to her magnetic charge. He ignored her completely, sitting in his chair still nursing his wounded pride.

Drakahn let out a snort then looked up as Rage left her com station to stand beside him, her arm resting on the high back of his chair. "How's the little princess doing?"

"She'll be fine, she's healing quickly. She will have to be monitored to make sure she doesn't try to starve or dehydrate herself." He leaned back with an almost thoughtful look on his strong hansom face. "You know, she's quite the remarkable one. She has come to impress even me with her fighting spirit. When I have made her my own, I am going to miss those darting eyes." He nickered softly under his breath. It came out like a soft chuckle.

Rage felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "Don't go falling in love, Drakahn. You're here to make sure she stays alive until Lord Vader has time to collect her...nothing more. There are no guaranties that the Emperor will give her to you after her training is complete. If she will not turn to the dark side, she'll be eliminated. Don't get your hopes up."

He rolled the chair around and looked at her evenly. "I will make her ready for his training. She is young and should be easy to manipulate, but she's not exactly co-operative at the moment, and that must change." 

Rage clicked her teeth and regarded him. He appeared completely obedient to Palpatine and Vader, but Rehn just might be too big a prize for him to give up. After just speaking with Vader though, Rage wasn't so sure that Palpatine wouldn't hand Gade over to the stallion anyway. "We're rendezvousing with my fleet and from there we'll go to where ever your strong hold is."

"On Cey'lon of course. My homeworld. Coruscant is lovely, but far to artificial for my liking."

Rage smiled lifting a fine eyebrow. "I didn't know extinct species have home worlds."

He chuckles at her taunt, his voice deep and calm. We all have a home, even the Sith I believe. I have had my fortress prepared for Gade's arrival for some time now. I knew it was only a matter of time before I found her again."

She slid a leather gloved hand over her face nodding. A smile sitting on her dark lips. "And this dark mystical place.. this is where the training will start?"

"No, my Sith princess. On Cey'lon the breaking and conditioning will start. "He laughed and swung his chair back looking at the monitor. He tapped a control and it zoomed in on Gade's face...resting but anything but peaceful. Rage watched him with a cool gaze, her eyes narrow.

********

They set down on Cey'lon in the early morning hours and Rage took a deep breath as she stepped off the transport. The air was clean and surprising fresh with a cold bite to it that irritated her damaged lungs. Still she held the breath until the air was warmed then exhaled. She had grown up on a Star Destroyer, and spent most of her life on one, so she appreciated unrecycled, clean air. Reg walked down the ramp behind her.

"You might get your vacation after all. This is a beautiful planet." He tugged on his gloves looking around.

"Yeah. You, me and a regiment of stormtroopers that haven't been off this rock for the past three years. First I'll have to pick the garrison apart and get it all up to shape....mainly because they expect me to. Then we'll see about a little R&R. Wouldn't mind going mountain climbing."

They heard a scream from the transport and both turned to look as a stormtrooper came flying out, landing on his head in a heap of bruised and broken flesh. Reg sighed. "Seems she's feeling better."

Rehn was pulled out onto the landing pad, blindfolded and wearing binders a muzzle and leg irons. Her massive muscles bulged as the stormtroopers threw themselves on top of her as she struck out with both feet at the closest one. Rage had decided to bring a few troopers from Corliss's ship to handle her, not wanting to waste her own men on such a violent prisoner. Drakahn brought up the rear, watching in silence as Rehn fought a loosing battle. A transport pulled up, the driver saluting Rage.

Reg looked around at the massive walls surrounding what had once been a heavily populated fortress city. "Where are we?"

Rage walked towards the group and Reg followed. "Valhonran on Cey'lon. I'm told it was the Lakeeta clan's home. Well shall we?" She gestured towards Rehn who lashed out with both legs again at one trooper who was a little slow to move.

****

-Kelly Black-


	7. Legacy

Felth had his arm locked around Rehn's throat and pulled her backwards as her feet thumped the ground in an angry tattoo. Her sharp, hooved toes where spread and gauged the hard dirt, churning a thick cloud of dust. One of the troopers pushed his knee into the back of hers and it buckled, landing the young Thalcein on her face. The other troopers let her go, one planting his boot between her shoulder blades, another using his foot on her head to pin her to the ground. The entire trip down from the Star Destroyer had been one long brawl, Rehn stopping only when to exhausted to continue her struggles. Drakahn approached the stormtroopers, his ear flattened in apparent irritation. He snorted and the troopers got off her.

"If you wish to continue to live to server the Emperor, you will handle his prize with more respect." Drakahn said, his voice low and deadly, eyes narrowed to emerald slits. Rehn lay at his feet, her breath harsh from distended nostrils, her muscles trembling in fatigue. He knelt next to her placing his hand gently on her shoulder, lowering his head so his lips brushed her delicate ear as he spoke.

"Welcome home, little one. I hope you will find your stay..._educational_." Rehn's ears flattened against the sides of her head and she gave a high pitched snort, trying to pull away from his touch, the flesh of her shoulder quivering in revulsion under his huge hand. She turned away from him, curling into as much of a defensive ball as her binders would allow and closed her eyes miserably, drawing her knees to her chest in exhaustion. The Dark Jedi stood and flashed Rage a smug smile as he snapped his fingers and the stormtroopers closed in around the young Thalcein again. She did not fight them this time as they blindfolded her, nor did she cooperate, and they were forced to drag her into the Lakeeta fortress.

"You were a little hard on the men not that I care, but it's difficult _not _to man-handle her."Rage said nonchalantly, stopping to stand beside him.

"Yes, but it's merely a means to an end. I have instructed them to treat her in a rather, how shall we say, _rough_ fashion. She is still just a child and if traumatized will seek comfort. With her partner dead and no way to contact her rebel friends, she is suddenly alone in a harsh, cruel galaxy." He said, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. Rage was impressed with his deviousness.

"And having no one to turn to, she will seek comfort from someone who is, at least, not her greatest enemy- someone who shows her even a minute amount of kindness..." Rage finished Drakahn's thought, smiling and shaking her head. "You sick, twisted bastard." At her words, Drakahn's neck arched, his large, hansom head shaking from side to side making the heavy crest of his neck sway and he snorted harshly. He spitted her with a green stare though narrowed eyes and as he looked down at her balefully.

"There are few who would dare to speak to me in such a manner, Lady Vader...." Everything about him was suddenly more menacing than usual. As suddenly as he had turned on her, his expression softened and he smiled a sly, predatory grin "..even if it is true." 

The stormtroopers dragged Gade for what seem like hours through the polished stone corridors of the immense fortress. Her clothing was torn and filthy, her fur matted and grungy with sweat, dirt and blood. The troopers finally stopped at a heavy wooden door which one of the men opened. She was propelled roughly forward, her left shoulder catching the door frame hard on entry. The young Thalcein landed in a heap on the cold, stone floor, breaking her fall with her already sore shoulder. She heard the door slam and lock, and the sound of boots fading into the distance. Rehn lay where she had fallen, the only movement the slow rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. 

Rarely had she ever faced a situation that she could not control. She had been captured once before, but it had only been a few days before she and Gellan had managed to escape. If she couldn't figure out how to get out of a particularly bothersome situation Gellan could, the reason they had been partnered. Quetad had always been able to anticipate her, and she him. He had been a good friend and a patient teacher. Now she had no one and the ache of his loss threatened to overwhelm her. Never before had she felt so hopeless - she had doubts that the Alliance even knew she had been captured. She was _helpless, _and that was what frightened her most, she realized. She had always had the answers, or had been able to improvise enough to fake it. She was confused and frightened, a million questions needed an answer, but she had no one to turn to. Like the power.. the power that had surged though her when Rage touch her mind back in the Star Destroyer's cell. It had felt as though she had touched a live wire. The energy had coursed through her and had attacked the Imperial on it's own. She had never felt anything like it... at least Gade didn't remember if she did or not. She had felt it again when Drakahn had probed her thoughts, only he had somehow shunted the attack away from himself. Confused, frightened and alone, she did something she had never done before- Rehn gave into her helplessness, and curling into a ball, began to sob.


	8. Legacy

Rage levelled her eyes up at the Thalcein enforcer. "Watch your tongue, Drakahn. Frankly I do not care how others speak to you." She turned curtly on her heels. Her Sith cape billowed out behind her as she stepped towards the instillation where the current regiment was housed, just off to the side of the fortress.

Drakahn snorted, glancing down at Reg. "High spirited, isn't she?"

He sighed and followed. "Sir, you don't know the half of it." Drakahn watched as Rage moved into the barracks then turned to see how his prize was faring.

*****

He watched the monitor as Gade sobbed, and a cold smile reached his features. She was completely alone. Completely vulnerable. Completely in need of a gentle hand. He stepped towards the cell, unlocked the door open and stepped in. Her sobs had stopped as soon as she heard the bolt of the door sliding, but she couldn't wipe the tears from her face. 

He brushed the side of her face with his hand as he pulled the blindfold from her face, and she jerked her head away so violently that he heard her neck crack. His eyes studied her features. His touch was gentle, almost caring and his eyes, although cold, held a kind of compassion. Drakahn could feel the emotional conflict beginning within her. She did not shrink away from his touch like she had before, but her muscles trembled in revulsion. She was simply too exhausted to fight any more.

He cautiously leaned over her and unlocked the shackles on her legs, then the ones keeping her arms pinned back. He carefully ran his hand over the abused muscles of her shoulder, using the Force to soothe it. The pain was eased and his strong sure hands massaged the torn and pulled muscles. He slipped the lock off the muzzle and backed away to give her space.

"I'm sorry about the treatment you received from the troopers. I spoke to Lady Vader and hopefully that will help."

She rolled to her feet quickly despite her fatigue, her mismatched eyes where cold and suspicious as she backed away from him. She snorted and shook her head - a threat, telling him to keep his distance. He smiled warmly. "You are very strong. A true credit to your bloodline."

He slipped a bundle from behind him and she could smell the smoked meat. Her mouth watered despite her uncaring appearance. He opened it and a canister of water as well, placing it on the floor in the middle of the room. Her ears flattened and she raised her head, tilting it slightly to one side, her body language clearly stating she did not trust him. He stood at the opposite end of the large room from her, pretending to busy himself by studying his surroundings. He remember how she used to love the smoked pellon meat when she was a child. Starved though she was, she was cautious, moving slowly, never taking her eyes from him. She crouched and picked up the smoked meat, sniffing at it tentatively before she took a great, tearing bite, then took a long drink of the water. The food hit her belly like a stone and she slowed so that her stomach wouldn't reject the sudden intrusion of nutrients.

"Rehn..."she looked up at him, chewing somewhat noisily. "This doesn't have to be difficult. You don't have to suffer. The Emperor is a hard master, but he has much to offer."

She snorted incredulously, her eyes looking coolly into his. "Nothing he could offer remotely interests me." she shot back venomously around a mouthful of food, finally breaking her silence. He could see that the very thought of having anything to do with Palpatine rankled.

"I don't want to see you destroyed, little one. There are so few of us left." Drakahn said, his tone soothed with the Force. He resisted the temptation of reaching out with it to touch her mind, recalling violent reaction it had previously brought on.

She watched him carefully, chewing slowly. She tried to pick up any indication him lying to her, though his eyes and body languages made him look sincere "Why have I been brought here?"

"You have a gift...a special gift, passed on to you by your ancestors...I can teach you how to use it."

****

-Kelly Black-


	9. Legacy

"What are you talking about." she asked, suspicious and wary. 

"You have a power, Rehn. It's been cruelly hidden from you, but it is there." Drakahn said, his deep voice took on a softness Rehn had not heard before. It was gentle, even concerned, and it made her uncomfortable. She broke eye contact with him, moving from foot to foot self-consciously. His could see the distrust on her face, but offering power to the powerless was like offering food to a starving animal.

"What kind of power." she asked finally.

"The power that the Emperor himself wields." Drakahn answered, his voice conspiratorial. "You could be powerful, rich beyond your dreams, command armies...."

"I have no use for power. It corrupts. Had it not been for the Lakeeta's quest for power, they would have never collaborated with the Empire." she replied smartly, her lips wrinkling in disgust. "You are a traitor to your people. Offer your little Force lessons to someone else."

The muscles in Drakahn's jaw twitched. Had he not been trying to gain her confidence he would have slapped her. She would soon learn to speak to him in nothing but a respectful tone, but that was a lesson for another day. He held his temper, keeping his expressions soft and open.

"With the power I offer you, you could escape if you like." He said, his tone almost conspiratorial and his eyes shifted as though looking for listening devices. "I can show you how to tap your power, how to use and control it."

"Why?" she asked, bristling. "Why would you give me a weapon that powerful." her suspicion suddenly became a tangible thing, and he knew he was losing her again. "Why would you give me a tool that could potentially help me kill you?"

"I did not want to see our people taken to the brink of extinction, Rehn. You could reunite the Thalcein and give them hope again. Our people need a strong leader. You could be that leader." He laced his words with the dark side, making his words all the more sincere sounding.

"Me? I'm no one special. I'm just a soldier." she replied, eyes narrow. Drakahn looked at her questioningly, with an almost worried look on his face.

"Has no one ever told you?" he asked, as though something vital had never been revealed to her. "You are the chosen one.. the _Cefoltek_... a gift from Adune to his children." Rehn looked at him as though he'd lost his mind.

"The what? Are you mind wiped? That's just a legend." her voice was incredulous. Drakahn smiled down at her, an almost reverent look on his face.

"Then I stand in the presence of a legend." he inclined his head respectfully, though it was probably the most difficult thing he'd done in years. Showing respect for a female, even one with Rehn's potential, cut him to the core. He would make up for it later, when and if Palpatine gave her to him. He would show her her true place and would take immense pleasure doing so. The thought made his body stir, and he focused his attention elsewhere, though his eyes never left Rehn. "As to mind wiped.. No, I assure you I have not been mentally tampered with.." his face turned troubled. "But I am not certain you have not been."

"Oh now you're just grasping at straws, Drakahn." Rehn gave a scornful snort. He looked at her steadily and exhaled slowly as though saddened.

"I can sense something missing in you Rehn. You are strong in the force and I know you feel it. What do you remember about your childhood?" he asked gently.

"I remember growing up in my Clan's fortress. I remember..." she stopped and her eyes moved as though she were searching for something in her mind. "I ..." Her eyes suddenly locked on his, angry. "The past doesn't matter." she snapped suddenly, her eyes boring into him. He kept his look soft and compassionate, though inside he was plotting his next move with a cruel, twisted smile.

"What do you remember before you awoke in Krall's home?" he asked. Rehn straightened slightly, having not heard the name of her guardian in years. He'd been very old when she'd left to join the Rebellion against his advice, and Barryk had told her the old master warrior had died peacefully in his sleep. In reality, he'd bee killed by Drakahn when he had refused to betray Rehn's whereabouts.

"How do you know I was Redah Krall's student?" she asked, her suspicion deepening.

"I have been watching you for some time, little one. It is unimportant how I know. Now answer my question, unless you are afraid of the truth." he responded, keeping his voice even, though heavily laced with the dark side. He could feel it slipping into her mind, fanning the flame of her doubts. She spitted him with an arrogant look.

"I'm not afraid... I just can't remember." she snapped defensively. She shifted uncomfortably, her mind trying to recall the events before she'd found herself in Krall's home. She could remember nothing.

"And why is that, I wonder? Terribly strange that one specific time of your life has been blocked from your consciousness, don't you think Rehn? Your importance to our people would have been told to you at a young age, yet you cannot remember. I remember the day of your birth, child. The whole planet rejoiced." he asked. "Only a Jedi has the power and control to do something so precise as to block a specific memory or suppress another's ability in the Force....." Rehn's brow furrowed in thought and after a long moment she gave him the answer he had hoped she would give him.

"Barryk......." a look of confusion crossed her face as she whispered her brother's name. Rehn looked up at Drakahn, questioning and ever suspicious. "Why would Barryk do that? she asked, not ready to believe her brother would so such a thing.

"He did it because he feared you, Rehn. He was jealous. Even at such a young age, you have the potential to become so much more than what he has achieved through years of training. You are destined to be a great warrior, leaving Barryk to live in your shadow." Drakahn said, his face and voice sympathetic. "He couldn't stand the thought of you being stronger in the Force than he was."

Rehn knew that her brother, twenty-seven years her senior, was fiercely competitive and loathed to be bested. _ It was him... you know it was... _a voice in her mind whispered with conviction, leaving no question or doubt as to who was to blame. She and Barryk rarely saw each other anymore, but she had once looked up to him. She the last time she had seen him their conversation had degenerated into a heated and bitter argument over her involvement in the Rebellion. He opposed it, vehemently almost. Her teeth ground audibly and she shook in an effort to control her emotions. No.. He wouldn't do it because he was jealous.. Would he? Drakahn smiled inwardly as the doubt began to roll off of the young Thalcein like a delicious, invisible wave. 

*********

"I am pleased, Drakahn. I had doubts that even this much progress was possible." Vader said. The holo image of the Dark Lord was twice life size, to make it appear that he was looking down at the huge Thalcein but Drakahn didn't mind. Vader was notoriously miserly with his praise, so Drakahn was now justifiably full of himself. 

"You honour me, my Lord." Drakahn answered, lowering his inclined head in a gesture of submission and deference. Drakahn was powerful, both physically as well as in the Force, and his continued survival hinged on his obedience to the Emperor as well as to Vader. Any sign of arrogance or ambition for power towards either men would result in an unpleasant, painful death. Drakahn, however, was pragmatic. The Emperor had given him the honour of being an enforcer, giving him as much trust and autonomy as Palpatine was capable of showing. He respected Vader by having no ambition to usurp his position as the Emperor's right hand man, content with his place as number two. "She has no memory of the death of her parents. Barryk has repressed it deep within her mind. It is protected by a sort of powerful Force barricade. Lady Vader was the first to encounter it. She had only touched the child's mind, and was hit with a kind of power backlash. I felt it also, when I probed her mind to find why she failed to recognize me." Drakahn replied. 

"Your work shall be rewarded, Drakahn."

"Thank you my Lord."

"Continue the conditioning. The Emperor's other project commands my full attention at the moment. I will join you on Cey'lon when I have concluded affairs here."

"As you command, Lord Vader. She will be made ready for your instruction." Drakahn said, his teeth bared fiercely as he knelt on one knee, his head bowed. Vader nodded gravely before he terminated the com link.

********

Rehn stood under the hot water, her eyes closed, letting the heat travel through her body. A hot shower was a luxury she did not get to experience often with the Rebellion. She had been filthy and could no longer stand to be around herself but had been hesitant to use the shower. Dirt and sweat turned the water an ugly shade of grey as it swept over her. It felt so good she almost forgot her imprisonment. Her cell had once been servant living quarters, she guessed. A wood framed bed sat in one corner of the large main room and, other than two chairs and a table, was the only furnishing. A battered copy of the Tulwahr, the Holy Book of the Thalcein religion rested on the table, a moth eaten grey ribbon marking a dog-eared page.

The refresher had been attached to the main room by a door at one time, but had since been removed. The lack of privacy bothered her more than she wanted to admit, but there was precious little she could do about it. She only hoped no one would not come barging in as she looked down at her lower legs._ So that's what colour they're supposed to be... _she thought offhandedly. They had been a grungy grey for long enough that is was almost a shock to see them snow white again, the large black spots that decorated them adding pleasant contrast. Her long black tail, no longer matted was a stark contrast to the white of her muscular posterior physique. The white fur began between her shoulder blades and continued down her back to the back of her thighs, forming the shape of a tear drop. The white was sparingly spotted in gold. The rest of her was body was the same colour as her rump spots, with the exception of her muzzle, the area around her eyes and her mane, which were the deepest black. Her striking colour was exceptionally rare among her people, she'd been told, though exactly how rare had never been discussed. Only once every few hundred generation was a filly born with her markings.

Satisfied she was finally clean, Rehn turned off the water and shook herself, sending a spray of water in all directions. She dressed in the only clothes that had been provided- a muscle shirt and knee length fatigue pants. Both were standard stormtrooper issue and both fit like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination and she pulled and fussed at them self-consciously. "They must be borrowing from Rage's wardrobe." she growled in disgust to no one in particular.

********

General Ranikin sat at his new desk, in his new office, his new General's rank plate pinned to his olive drab uniform, having just been given what the Rebels jokingly referred to has an 'Imperial Field Promotion'. General Petak, his former CO was now dead at the hands of Lady Rage Vader, and he as the next highest ranking officer of the garrison had just been handed a dead man's job. Not how most officers would prefer to get promoted, but when you were stationed this far out on the Rim, you took what you could get. What Ranikin had just inherited was a group of men who had been lax for far too long- the reason for his predecessor's demise, but he was an old-guard, spit-and-polish type officer, and knew he could succeed where Petak had failed. 

He was just finishing a holo for his wife, sending her the news of his promotion, when Drakahn walked through the pressure door of his office. Ranikin was about to verbally slap down the trespasser for not asking permission to enter when he looked up from his recorder - and felt his heart drop into his feet. He got out of his chair in a hurry, and it rolled backwards, thumping into the wall noisily. He had heard stories of the 'Death's Messenger', the Emperor's enforcer, and his career- as well as his life- flashed before his eyes. Drakahn, dressed in dark green and gold Lakeeta Clan armour, a black hood and cape slung from his shoulder, looked down at the surprised human. He enjoyed the fear he instilled in this supposedly 'superior' species.

"Congratulation on your promotion, General." Drakahn said in greeting, his voice somewhat sarcastic.

"Thank you, Lord Drakahn." Ranikin replied, regaining his composure and ignoring the verbal jab. He knew that he had not been in office long enough to screw up badly enough to warrant a visit from Drakahn in an official capacity, but it had still given his heart rate a jolt. 

"I have need of some of your men. Three that are experts in hand to hand. The bigger the better. They must be physically intimidating." He could see the confusion on Ranikin's face, though it was admirably hidden. 

"As you wish, my Lord." Ranikin said with a nod. Drakahn placed a datapad on his desk and turned to leave, but stopped and looked back over his massive shoulder to fix Ranikin with a green eyed stare.

"Make it clear to your men General, that Gade is to beaten and humiliated, but **not** violated. Tell them to follow the rules of engagement, or punishment will be... _severe_."

"I will make it abundantly clear, m'Lord."

__


	10. Legacy

Reg walked into the suite, tossing his hat down on the counter. He entered the sunlit main room, it's balcony that overlooking a beautiful garden and found Rage sleeping. The young woman lay in a massive wooden chair surrounded by pillows. She was snuggled down with a bottle of fine Corellian whiskey settled against her thigh. Her eyes were closed but the room was in general disarray. The clone sighed and walked over to her, plucking the bottle from her fingers and kissed her forehead. "Princess?"

She only stirred and rolled over to her side. He set the bottle on the table and brushed the hair from her face. She wore her under gear for her Sith Armor, the thick leather and plasteel in a heap on the parquet floor. "Rage?" He touched the side of her face gently. 

She hadn't been sleeping well, plagued by nightmares she wouldn't tell him about. She had been sleeping during the day and he had been sitting up with her at night. Finally her dark eyes slowly opened. She was drunk. "Hello." 

"Hello, back. I spoke to Lord Vader. Told him you were still with the troops and that I wasn't able to get a hold of you in time." he explained. He wasn't force sensitive, but he could tell the Dark Lord had been irritated.

"And?" she asked, looking at the hansom young man who had been her guardian since early childhood with an arched, well defined brow. She sounded tired.

"And he didn't buy it, but he didn't say anything. He was a little irritated though." Reg replied, rubbing his forehead. 

"Good." She closed her eyes again and he climbed on the chair moving her over. He hugged her tightly.

"Rage? What's the matter?' he asked, concerned.

"Nothing." the young woman replied evasively. Reg gave a slight sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. _Don't_ tell me."

"Nothings wrong. I'm on vacation. This is how I prefer to act." There was a knock on the outer door and Reg jumped up and answered it. The officer snapped to attention but relaxed when he saw it was Reg. "A message from the General for Lady Vader."

Reg looked him up and down then snatched the message from his hand, pretending to notice the rank and code number then slamming the door in his face. He walked back into the other room Rage was half sitting up, having retrieved her bottle.

"Who was that? Tarkin wanting to bring me back to Coruscant to marry one of his sons and become a bitchy palace snob?" Rage asked offhandedly.

"Uh, no not this time, but I'm still hoping." He keyed in her personal code and read over the note. Rage sat up a little more and looked almost curious as Reg's brow furrowed.

"Well? The general decide the pressure too much and slit his throat with his decoder pen?" she asked, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. General Ranikin was under considerable stress to bring the garrison up to snuff in very little time. The new general was proving equal to the task, though it was not hard to be motivated when you had a Vader looking over your shoulder.

"Decoder pen?" Reg gave her a funny look "No, it seems Drakahn has scheduled a little workout for our prisoner - except she's the punching bag. He sent three Imperial guards to his fortress to bring her back here."

She sat up, suddenly interested and swung her legs over the side of the lounger. "Really? Cleared with Lord Vader?" 

"I think the Lord has given him free rein. Pardon the pun." Reg replied with a shrug.

"Cooky. This might be interesting." She got to her feet, not bothering to dress in her armor. She touched the force, easily wiping away the effect of the drink from her mind. They left the suit and crossed the outdoor drill square to the main training facility. She quickly located Drakahn. He stood in front of a large holoviewer, it's screen showing a small indoor training area that had been cleared of equipment, the duracrete floor and walls completely bare. The room displayed on the holoviewer was adjacent to the one he was standing in, separated by a thick duracrete wall. He flicked an ear at Rage as she and Reg entered the monitoring room.

"Lady Vader. I must admit I am a little surprised. I was told you were relaxing in your suite." He said in greeting, his voice smooth and deep though slightly uninterested.

"I was but it was boring so I decided to come watch you with the Emperor's prize." She emphasized the 'the Emperor' part slightly. Drakahn was starting to act like Gade was already his for the taking and it was beginning to irritated her. She knew he had to wait until after Rehn was trained before he could do what he liked with her, _if_ she could be turned. If , however, she could not and proved to strong to mind wipe, she would have to be destroyed. Drakahn snorted somewhat incredulously, but looked back to see her good natured smile. She knew that Vader trusted the stallion and he had complete power here. "I'm not breaking your concentration am I?" she asked, her voice low and sly.

The big stallion looked at her, his eyes slid over her body, lingering on her rather impressive assets and gave a sadistic grin. "Yes, but I can cope." She moved closer to his side as the viewer showed the door of the practice room open and three tall, brawny men dragged the angry, thrashing Thalcein inside.

"So, what exactly do you have planned for her?" Rage asked casually, smoothing her long black hair, before crossing her arms across her chest. Drakahn didn't look at her, but his eyes narrowed as his lips pulled back from his teeth an a sadistic, twisted smile.

"A lesson in humility, m'Lady. Only by stripping her of her pride and self confidence will I be able to make her need comfort and reassurance." he replied, his green eyes flashing in anticipation. 

"I get the distinct impression that her pride and confidence are not the only things you would like to strip her of." Rage commented somewhat dryly, her eyebrow arched. Drakahn chuckled.

"Yes, but her virtue will have to wait. I've waited this long to posses her, I can wait a little longer." the stallion replied. Rage had to keep the disgusted look from her face. Though Rehn was chronologically a year older than the Sith, she would still be considered child in Thalcein society despite her physical and mental maturity. Had Rehn been 'normal', she would have had the physical and mental attributes of a 13-14 year old human. Rage's smile melted. This wasn't going to be easy to watch, even if Gade was a rebel.

****

-Kelly Black-


	11. Legacy

**This might be the last post on Fanfic.net for this story as it is very long (about 87 chapters) If you would like to read more of it, please go to my page at www.geocities.com/rehn_gade/**

The men had burst into her room and had shackled and blindfolded her before she'd had a chance to react. She had been sleeping, and their entry had been so stealthy she had not even heard them come in. Despite violent physical protest, Rehn had been transported to the garrison where she was dragged to an exercise yard by the three troopers. They threw her to the floor and two of the burly humans held her down while a third removed her restraints. Rehn bawled angrily in protest, same low-pitched, hollow chested sound rusty durasteel beams make while being bent and twisted. When the restrains were unlocked, Gade thrashed violently as the two men holding her down grabbed her muscular arms and hauled her to her feet. The trooper attached to her left arm slid his right one around her throat, using his elbow to squeeze her windpipe like a vice and Rehn gagged as her throat constricted from the pressure. The other trooper, a sergeant, pulled off his helmet and tossed it to on the ground and approached the blindfolded captive. She bared her teeth threateningly and snarled, sounding like an angry jungle cat as she heard him approach. Her wide chest heaved appealingly as she breathed. Unable to see, she had to rely on her acute hearing, and her ears flicked almost frantically.

"Looks like we've going to have some fun after all boys." He said, his eyes sliding over her body, it's shape not at all concealed by the thin, tight clothing she had been forced to wear. He smiled cruelly. Gade struck out blindly with her left leg in a vicious kick, intending to disembowel the sergeant. The strike was awkward and well off the mark, giving the man ample time to dodge. Using two fingers to deftly jab a major nerve high on her inner thigh. The agony was instantaneous and severe, the muscle twitching and spasming painfully. She screamed in pain and her anger and fear were replaced by panic. Her left leg refused to support her, leaving her almost defenceless. 

Drakahn watched, his powerful arms folded across his armoured chest. Sergeant Temblin was playing his part of the 'sadistic Imperial trooper' admirably._ Probably because he's had a lot of practice_, he though offhandedly. He could feel the young warrior's growing terror and he smiled. 

For some reason, Rage found it hard to watch. _There is nothing even sporting about this_ she thought to herself. Had Gade been pitted against regular troopers, she probably would have mopped the floor with their entrails. These men, however, where different. The Royal Guard routinely rotated it's troops to combat units to keep their skills honed. These three where ending their tour, ready to rejoin the scarlet ranks, and due to the lack of action on Cey'lon, were starved for it. Rage watched as the sergeant stroked the side of Rehn's face with his hand and it then trailed down the young prisoner's neck to her breast which he palmed and squeezed none to gently. The audio pickups caught Rehn's terrified squeal with gut churning clarity. Rage shot a sidelong glance at Drakahn, who had been watching intently. His ears flattened, his nostrils flared and a possessive snarl touched his lips when he saw it happen. He just as quickly regained his composure.

Rehn's skin crawled as the trooper squeezed her sensitive flesh and she gave a squeal of both pain and terror. She had heard stories of what often happened to female prisoners in Imperial facilities, and the prospect of begin raped had been something she had tried not to think about. She lunged forward suddenly, desperate to escape, teeth snapping, hoping to catch a piece of her tormentor. A male voice laughed and she doubled over as a knee was driven into her belly, forcing the air from her lungs. Rehn coughed as bile was forced into her throat by the power of the blow and she tried not to be sick. 

"What's the matter, shrag? I thought you'd like it rough." Temblin growled into her ear. Rehn's head would have hung as she tried to regain her wind, had it not been for the arm around her throat. She trembled visibly and it was giving him a serious hard-on. The General had been adamant - she was only to be humiliated and beaten. Anyone who decided to use her a an outlet for their sexual frustrations would be harshly dealt with. Despite the threat, Temblin and his men were having a hard time restraining the urge to throw her to the ground and sample the merchandise. 

The meticulous beating continued for almost an hour, and Rage though she was going to be ill. It had obviously been well planned beforehand, and designed to cause not only physical pain and damage, but a great deal of psychological trauma as well. Reg stood close to her, but remained silent. The two troopers holding Rehn finally released her, letting her fall heavily to the duracrete floor. Rage wanted to shake her head unbelieving as Rehn made a feeble effort to rise, her will to fight apparently having no limits. Her ribs heaved and she struggled to breath as blood flowed freely from her nose and mouth. The troopers turned to leave, but Temblin stopped to watch when he heard the Thalcein groan. He walked back to were she lay struggling to rise and knelt on one knee. Using a crooked finger under her chin to lift her head gently, he looked at her bleeding, swelling face and then punched her in the jaw. Her head rocked back, hitting the floor with and audible 'thud'. Satisfied he'd finished the job, he stood and joined his companions as they left, laughing and joking amongst themselves.

Rage closed her eyes and shook her head slightly to clear it. If she could snuff out the life of the load-lifter tech with a thought and feel nothing emotionally, then why did watching this bother her so? She looked over at Drakahn. His face was impassive as he watched Gade's image. She lay still, only the rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was still among the living. Reg tugged at her elbow and motioned towards the door with an almost imperceptible flick of his head and Rage allowed him to lead her away. Drakahn smiled as the Sith woman left and straightened his black Jedi tunic. A trauma team waited patiently nearby, speaking quietly amongst themselves until he beckoned them to follow.

Rehn vaguely hear a door slide open and a deep voice call her name. Strong, gentle hands rolled her onto her back and pulled off the blindfold. The bright light made her squint slowly, and she found herself staring into Drakahn's hansom face. His expression was a mixture of worry, concern, anger and outrage. She exhaled and the breath left her nostrils as a fine crimson mist. She felt hands run over her bruised and bleeding flesh and she tried to fight, but her body responded slowly and she was easily restrained. She tried to scream in pain, but it came out as little more than a whimper.

"I'm sorry Rehn. I only learned you were missing from the fortress a few moments ago. I will find who did this and they will pay dearly, child. You have my word." he stroked her cheek tenderly. Rehn's eyes fluttered and rolled back in their sockets as she began to drift in and out of consciousness. She coughed, choking on her own blood.

I'm so tired she thought _is this how I'm to die?_ She was suddenly enveloped in blessedly numb blackness, and was prepared to meet death's icy embrace. The medic looked at the enforcer as Rehn lost consciousness. "Her stomach and pancreas have been ruptured, m'Lord and she's bleeding into her belly. We have to move her. Now." Drakahn got to his feet and nodded. The medics put Rehn on a backboard and rushed her to the hospital facilities down the hall. 

********

Seph Gade gave a grunt as Vader drove his sabre's crimson blade through his chest and he staggered back as Vader pulled the weapon free. Seph, his dapple grey coat matted with sweat, fell to his knees, his eyes closed, nostrils flared, his bloodied mouth gaping as he pitched forward, posting his hands into the deck to keep from falling on his face. His neck was bowed in defeat, his black muzzle almost touching the deck, a blackened hole where his heart should have been. She watched in horror as Vader's sabre hover over her father's neck, then as Vader raised his weapon over his head and brought it down in a vicious arc...

"FATHER!" Rehn's eyes flew open as the hoarse, grief stricken scream ripped from her throat like a clawed animal. Rehn hung suspended in the bacta tank surrounded by the thick pinkish liquid. Her scream had broken the strong surgical tape that secured her jaw and she inadvertently spat out the breathing apparatus. Bacta filled her throat and feeling like she was drowning, panicked, her hooved toes tearing at the front of the tank, leaving deep furrow in the tough transparisteel. Her desperation seemed to draw great energy from an unseen source, and feeling the power fill her, she kicked out with both feet-and the tank shattered., spilling her onto the floor as naked as the day she was born. She snorted and coughed the bacta from her lungs in revulsion, her chest heaving. The medics and three stormtroopers in the ward just stood unbelieving. There was no was she should have been able to break the tank, especially considering the amount of sedative they had pumped into her over the last three days. Whatever power had suddenly possessed her left just as suddenly, leaving her weak and nauseous. Giving into her exhaustion, she lay where she had fallen and the troopers, shaking off their shock held her down as an MD droid sedated her. 

********

Rehn awoke a few hours later in a small, sterile white room. She lay in a comfortable sleeping position on her side, covered by a blanket. She thought of how comforting the soft, fuzzy fabric felt against her skin and realized she was completely naked. She clutched the blanket to her and sat up, shuffling back into a corner of the brightly lit, padded room. She sat trembling, her knees pulled to her chest and rocked back and forth, feeling frustrate and frightened, humiliated tears welling in her mismatched eyes. She covered her face with her arms and cried quietly, her confused thoughts drifted to Gellan, making her cry harder. She missed him terribly; his easy laugh, his cocky smile, even the brotherly tormenting he inflicted on her occasionally. She remembered the beating she had suffered with painful clarity, and the one who inflicted it on her telling her in a disgusted voice that the only reason they didn't rape her was because she was a filthy alien who'd probably already been used by half the maggots in the rebellion. It wasn't true of course, she'd never even been kissed before. The room's only door slid open with a sudden 'whoosh' of pneumatics and Drakahn stepped in. Rehn's eyes went wide and she cowered in the corner, her breaths hitched in her chest as she tried not to cry in front of her enemy. He approached slowly and knelt when he reached the middle of the small room, knowing his size was very intimidating.

"Are you all right? Are you in pain?" he asked, his expression open and compassionate, looking genuinely worried. He approached slowly and she shrank away, obviously terrified. "I won't hurt you, Rehn..." 

"Get away from me!" she shrieked as he drew slowly closer. Frantically she lashed out with sharp toes, but Drakahn knew it was coming. He caught her ankle in a firm but gentle grip and she panicked, thrashing violently, though with not half the power she normally had, still weak from the sedative. She screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks as Drakahn knelt and pulled her to him. She clutched the blanket desperately, but he made no move to remove it or take it from her. He held her to him as a parent would comfort a frightened child. She fought weakly, trembling and crying. He used the underside of his jaw to pull her head to his chest and didn't make a sound when she sank her teeth into his arm as he held her. Had she not been still recovering from sedation, she would likely have torn a good sized chunk of meat from his forearm, but as it was, she left little more than tooth marks. He rocked her and shushed her, stroking her neck.

"You're all right little one." he whispered softly into her ear. The filly sobbed and cried in frustration, finally releasing his arm from her teeth. Her struggles ceased from exhaustion and she lay shaking in his embrace. Drakahn was silent for a long moment before he spoke again. "You disappoint me, child." his voice was hushed but reproachful. "There were only three of them, Rehn. I expected more from you. Perhaps you are not as strong as I previously thought, if you cannot best three humans." he said 'human' as though he were talking about a lower life form. "Had you used the Force, you would have easily killed them." The dark Jedi suppressed a smile as the seed of shame he had just planted in her mind began to sprout quickly. "I find it hard to believe you were so badly beaten why only three men."

"I couldn't see...." she stammered, trying to explain. Drakahn shook his head as though disappointed and sighed.

"With the Force at your command, you do not need eyes to see, or ears to hear. You cannot camouflage failure with excuses. The weak whine about the unfairness of a fight. The strong learn from their mistakes and make themselves stronger, so that they may seek revenge." his tone was soft but a patronizing tone creeping into his deep, almost seductive voice. "Which are you, Rehn?" He could feel the emotional chaos inside her. He was the enemy, though he was trying to help her, to comfort her. Drakahn seemed to actually care about her, and it had her terribly confused.

So far, his plan was working perfectly.


	12. Legacy

Rage stood in the holo, she stood in military 'at ease' stance, her gloved hands in tight fists at her back. She glared at the image before her. "But they're supposed to be Imperial Guards, not thugs."

Tarkin sat back and folded his fingers across his lap. "My Lady Rage, if Lord Vader has given the Messenger the authorization to do this I do not wish to intervene." Rage gritted her teeth and Tarkin winced slightly. "Rage, calm down. What would you like me to do?"

She slammed her hands down on the railing in front of her making it bend. "Talk to the Emperor! He listens to you!"

"Oh, and I take it he has not been listen to your pleas." the Grand Moff asked, a dark brow arched.

"No I get as far as my complaint, he asks if she's a possible Jedi, and end of discussion." Rage replied in frustration

Tarkin chuckled slightly, looking intently at her, as usual his eyes full of power and amusement. "My lovely, lovely Rage...why do you care?"

"Because she's better than that........she's an excellent warrior. And if it had been me..."

Tarkin raised a finger, silencing her protest. His face suddenly very serious and stern. "You're taking this personally. Don't identify with this creature. She is beneath your concern." the contempt in his voice was not subtle.

"But when I went through this..."

"Rage! Stop. This will get you no where. I knew having you on the same planet with Drakahn was a bad idea from the beginning. You are there to supervise the 'restructuring' of the garrison, while making sure Ranikin is equal to his rather monumental task. You're secondary mission is to provide back up in case the little shrag proves too much for Drakahn to handle. After that, I will personally make sure you are reassigned as far away from him as possible. Until such time however, you_ will not_ interfere with the Messenger, unless the Emperor orders otherwise. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Rage replied through slightly gritted teeth.

"Excellent." He relaxed and smiled at her. "On a better note, don't you want know how my little battle station is coming along?" It seemed Tarkin's new toy was coming along well and so far, construction was on schedule, though a little over budget. After a long conversation, the link was terminated and Rage stood, her eyes suddenly filling with a dark murky red shimmer as she called deeply on the force, the action sending out powerful ripples in the Force. Rehn felt it, even in her drug induced sleep, and stirred as a cold tide seemed to lay down over the area. In his meditations Drakahn lifted his head but then ignored it.

Reg sighed and fell from his stance of attention to leaning against the com equipment. "All right.. what are you going to do?"

She turned and smiled. "I'm going to make sure that every part of the garrison is working in tip top shape! Just as I was ordered." She stepped away from the com unit and gestured for him to follow her.

********

Rage entered the Temblin's quarters. She was dressed in a black evening gown and had Temblin's coat over her shoulders. He followed her in, and closed the door behind him. She heard the almost inaudible snap of the lock then his foot steps coming up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and slid them down, gripping her elbows painfully and smell her luxuriously long black hair.

"As soon I heard you were coming I would hope we would find each other. I've been watching you ever since you were young." his voice was a heavy whisper in her ear, his tongue sliding over her earlobe.

She grimaced and wanted to shiver in disgust but held it off. _Yuck _"Oh, is that right?" she asked seductively, turning her head towards him as he kissed her neck.

He brought an arm around her waist and stroked the silky material. "I've heard talk about you....about how you need a real man."

She turned to face him. "A real man? One like you? I watched you with the shrag. Most impressive work." he chuckled nuzzling her neck, then she pulled away slightly "...for a coward." She twisted away from his grasp and let fly with a back hand that broke his jaw. He spun back and landed hard against the wall, but his huge, well conditioned body quickly recovering.

"Why you bit...." he snarled, but never got to finish. She kicked him in the stomach and bent him over again. He snapped up her leg and swung her into the wall. Rage broke the impact, her elbow going numb. She dropped to the floor and shot the stiletto heel of her shoe into his knee cap, forcing it up into his thigh muscle, hearing the tendon snap. He cried out in pain, and Rage slipped her leg from his strong grasp. He swung and she felt a tug in the force and ducked the punch but couldn't move fast enough as he brought his fist down into her back. She used the force of the hit to drop then rise, driving her shoulder into his groin. He fell backwards, clutching his aching manhood and only the wall behind him kept him from toppling over.

Rage stood flexing her elbow experimentally. It wasn't broken, just strained. "Ouch...that hurt.. not many actually get that far. So enjoying our date yet, Sergeant?" she asked, her eyes flashing with fait amusement " Is it was much fun as beating a blindfolded child nearly to death? She didn't beg for mercy, though I wonder if _you_ will be that strong." He charged with a roar and she brought the heal of her palm down on the font of his face, blinding him and redirecting him into the already bloodied wall again. His nose and cheekbone broke with a crunch, but he kicked at her, sweeping his leg around and knocking Rage to the ground. He crawled over on top of her and she laughed at him, infuriating him even more. He pulled a vibroblade from in his boot with a snarl and brought it to her throat. With an easy tug with the Force it tore from his hand and into the wall.

"This was fun and all but I have to get up early tomorrow. Your men need to be tested as well." He looked down at her in enraged pain as she pulled in her anger. With muscles made into iron by the dark side of the Force, she slammed her fist into his face, feeling the bone and tissue give way. Her chest and face were covered in blood and grey brain tissue as it leaked from the gaping hole in his one hansom face. She laughed and rolled his dead body over, trying to pull her fist free. The bone was sharp and she was careful as she slid it out.

A knock came at the door. "Sergeant? Sergeant! Are you all right, sir?" The door was kicked open and four stormtroopers sergeants rushed in, their o.d. green boxer shorts and bare feet making it obvious that Rage's little tussle had awakened them.

Rage extricate her hand from the ruined face and shook the blood, brain and bone chips from her hand with a deft flick. "Yuck. Oh yeah, he's fine." She looked down at the dead man, cocking her head to study her work then turned back to look at the half-clothed, now frightened men "You have any wet naps on you?"

****

-Kelly Black-


	13. Legacy

"Three weeks!?!?" Barryk was incensed "She's been missing three weeks and you didn't tell me?"

"We only confirmed it four days ago, _Major_." General Craken said, emphasizing Barryk's lower rank "Our deep plant couldn't get us the news any sooner." Craken watched in silence as the large black and white Thalcein warrior paced in front of him. "We all knew this might happen."

Barryk slammed his fist on the General's desk. "You don't understand...Give me a team, I'll get her out." 

"Gade, you're a gun runner now. You haven't had operational status for over a year, you can't just expect to charge in, kill the bad guys and break her out."

Barryk's eyes narrowed angrily "You don't' understand." he spoke slowly and leaned forward, his face only inches from the General's.

Craken was not intimidated "I know she's your sister. I'm worried about her too. I got her assigned to Spec Ops because she was good, a natural warrior, but I also had her assigned to me so I could keep an eye on her. She knew the risks Barryk."

"She was assigned here completely against my wishes." Barryk replied angrily, pointing at the much smaller human. "I begged you to assign her to a desk job! I hold you responsible for this!" Craken bristled and he got slowly out of his seat and skewered Barryk with a hard, green-grey stare.

"Shut up and sit down, Gade. I'm not done yet." Craken barked loudly. Barryk looked down at the man. The former Jedi looked away first and bowed his head slightly. Gade had known him a long time and had great respect for the General. Barryk sat, his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry. Please continue."

Craken leaned forward and punched the buttons on his desktop. A two foot holo-image sprang to life between them. "I'm assuming you know who _this_ is." Craken asked dryly. The image wore black Jedi fighting clothes, his head held at an arrogant angle, and the only emotion betrayed by his eyes was pure contempt. Barryk remembered the look well. At first, his ears flattened to the sides of his head and his lips curled in a hate filled snarl, but then his heart fell into his feet and he suddenly thought he'd be sick.

"No. Please tell me Drakahn doesn't have her." the young stallion asked, his voice almost pleading. Craken's lips pursed and he took a deep, resigned breath. 

"I'm sorry, I wish I could. Believe me." Craken replied. "She was captured on Tatooine by Fett and that's when we first lost track of her. There was enough evidence left in the warehouse to suggest that her partner Gellan Quetad is dead, though we did not find his body. It appears she didn't go own without a fight though. We found blood at the scene that didn't match her, her partner or the gunrunners. We're assuming it was Fett's." Craken explained "We were contacted four days ago by a deep plant operative, saying that a young female Thalcein was in Imperial custody.."

"Where?" Barryk demanded, shooting from his chair and posting his big white furred hands on the General's desk. 

"Cey'lon." Craken replied, running a hand through his greying read hair. "Intel thinks he's using her as bait to draw you out." Barryk closed his eyes and hung his head. There was no use keeping it a secret any longer.

"It's not me he wants. It's her. She's force sensitive." he sounded completely spent. Craken sat back in his chair, looking like Barryk had just dropped a bomb in his lap.

"What? How sensitive?" 

"As powerful as Seph, at the very least.." Barryk answered as though he was confessing something awful.

"Why didn't she shown any signs then?"

"Because…" Barryk looked like he would be ill. "Because I suppressed her ability." Craken just looked at him blankly, clearly not really understanding "She isn't _normal_, Airen." Barryk started to pace the room. "Every few hundred generations, a child is born among the Thalcein that is special. The foal is always female, and the same colour- gold, white and black with mismatched eyes. They are child prodigies, they learn and mature quickly and show strong force ability at an early age." He looked down at Craken, his eyes bleak. "I started my force training at 21, when most young of my species begin to show signs of sensitivity. Rehn began her training at 3. She is the_ Cefoltek_. The Chosen one."

"I thought that was just a legend. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't she ever say something" Craken looked slightly irritated, though the graveness of the situation was starting to become apparent. 

"Because she doesn't know." Barryk sat again and put his head in his hands. "She was forced to watch as Drakahn and Vader killed our parents. She'd been sheltered as a child because of the plague and the Lakeeta, so she'd never had to deal with certain emotions. She had started her training, but my father had to proceed slowly because of her natural aggression, and before that day, she had never had to deal with **_hate_**." Craken could see the shame on Barryk's face. "She wasn't prepared to deal with such a negative emotions and it threatened to consume her, even at such a young age. I was confused, desperate. I couldn't lose her to her hate. "He continued, growing more miserable "I did the only thing I could think of."

"You wiped her mind?" the General asked, shocked and accusing. Barryk look up suddenly to meet the man's hard gaze.

"No! No.. I didn't wipe her mind." he replied and then looked away guiltily "I blocked the memory deep in her subconscious. It suppressed her force ability to the point that it acted only as a sort of early warning device, but it also protects the block. She remembers nothing of the incident." he exhaled and shook his head sadly. "I was going to unlock it when I thought she was ready to deal with her anger, but because she was trained as a warrior before her Jedi training was complete, she's learned to rely on her negative emotions. I didn't foresee that happening." 

"Even I know mind tampering is strictly forbidden by the Jedi Code! Surely there had to be a better way, Barryk." Airen shook his head in disgust. He could think of nothing more invasive, more violating, than having a person's mind altered against their will.

"Why do you think I gave up my Knighthood?" Barryk snapped, suddenly angry. "You think I wanted to do that to her? You weren't there Airen, you didn't see the look in her eyes. You didn't feel the hate radiating off of her like heat from a sun. If I hadn't done something, she'd have been lost, and with her the only hope for uniting our people. You don't think I regret the decision every second of my life? I only wanted to protect her… and I failed." his grey eyes locked with Craken's and the General could see the pain in them. "I can't lose her.. She's all I have left."

"Yet you've hardly spoke in a year and a half.." the General observed, a brow raised. "Last I remember she called you a coward and you stormed off." Barryk's jaw set. "I believe it was the day you resigned your combat commission to fly weapons and supplies while she was bumped from advanced combat training to Spec Ops." Craken rubbed a hand down his tired face. "And had I know then what I know now I'd never have moved her up." He was silent for a long moment, not wanting to ask what he knew he must. "What will happen if she is turned to the dark side?"

Barryk stared blankly at the floor for a long moment before answering. "She could become the Emperor's next weapon, though I'm hoping only Drakahn realizes her potential." Craken put his face in his hands, but looked up when Barryk continued. "But it gets worse.."

"How could this possibly get any worse?" the General asked pragmatically.

"The first born of the Cefoltek is also highly attuned to the Force and becomes a great warrior. That's why Drakahn wants her, he's been obsessed with her since she was a child." Barryk replied.

"But she's far to young to be.." Craken didn't finish, watching Gade shake his head and getting to his feet.

"If she were normal? Yes, she would be far to young for Drakahn to use" Barryk stopped, his back to the man "But the _Cefoltek_ is capable of conceiving at seventeen." There was a heavy pause that filled the General's office with oppressive silence. "Please Airen, give me a team and let me get her out before it's too late, if it isn't already."

Craken sat silent for a long moment, his face in his hands, elbows braced on his desk. He wanted so badly to do something. Rehn was one of 'Craken's Brats', a group of promising young operatives that he had taken under his wing.. but how do you justify pulling resources from a major upcoming battle to save one operative, no matter what her potential was. Command decisions were never easy, and some where harder than others. He liked Rehn, even if she did seem to have a propensity to drive him to the frail edge of sanity at times with her sometime insubordinate nature. She was tough, determined, defiant and sometimes incredibly irritating - and he hoped it would either bring about her escape, or a quick death._ I'm sorry, Rehn. Forgive me..._ The silence had stretched long enough that Barryk knew what he was going to say before Craken spoke. "I'm sorry Barryk. I don't have the troops or supplies for even a run and gun operation right now. Cey'lon's defences have been recently fortified, and our resources are tie up eight ways from the Rim right now. We're stretched thin in this sector as it is. I'm sorry." Craken's face looked older somehow, his eyes sad and apologetic. The muscles in Barryk's jaws clenched. He gave a great snort of frustration and stormed out the door, the air around him alive with energy.

*********

"Barryk! I haven't seen you since the assault at Brandathu. How the hell are ya? How is Rehn? You never call, you never write... mom would slap you silly." The Thalcein's youthful face in the holo image was a garish study in mahogany and white, his pale blue eyes warm and friendly, his thick black forelock pushed to one side. Kren Draven and Barryk had been good friends since their childhood on Cey'lon before the plague had been unleashed. Kren had been orphaned and adopted into the Tay'axia clan, and the Gade family, by Barryk's father Seph. They had endured boot camp together, been stationed in the same unit, fought side by side in their Clan's armed forces. Though not Force sensitive, Kren had an uncanny knack for anticipating what Barryk was thinking. His happy look dissolved when he saw his brother's face. "What's wrong?" he asked, and then his face fell "Something's happened to Rehn..."

"I need your help, Kren." Barryk's face was a study in worry and despair, confirming Kren's fears.

"This link might not be secure. Meet me at the CrossRoads on Casaba. I'll borrow some stuff from the unit, and be there in a 36 hours." Kren was already pulling on a dark, unmarked tunic.

"I just need intel, Kren. This isn't going to be easy. I have a better chance alone." Barryk interjected "Besides, you take an unsanctioned vacation from your outfit and they might shoot you." It wasn't a joke. Kren was part of an elite unit who's fierceness was discussed with equal measures of fear, respect and hate among the Empire's armed services. The Rebellion's elite infiltrators of Team Six were the best in the business, but gave no quarter to those of their members who went astray.

"The boys won't mind." Kren replied with a cocky smile. "I haven't had a vacation in three years. I'm just gonna borrow some of the boss's toys. Besides Gade, I've seen you operate. You're going to need all the help you can get." Barryk knew there was no use arguing now.

"I'll see you at the CrossRoads, brother." Barryk said, his face grave. "Craken is going to skin us alive for this, you know that don't you." Kren's smile broadened and his blue eye narrowed playfully.

"He's gotta catch us first. See you in 36."

********

Barryk sat in a booth in the back corner of the CrossRoads tavern. It was by far the nastiest dive he had ever been in, and he'd been around. The bar's clientele consisted entirely of beings that did not want to be found. The table was grimy to the point he didn't want to touch it and the floor was in about the same condition, the tile pattern no longer recognizable under the film of dirt, alcohol, broken glass, blood and the occasional stray tooth. A tall figure in a hooded cloak slipped through the darkened doorway and moved deliberately to Barryk's table. The blue eye were so bright they almost glowed beneath the heavy hood.

"Give me the details." was all Draven said. Barryk wiped a tired hand over his even more tired face, his eyes looking old from lack of sleep.

"Drakahn has her on Cey'lon in the old Lakeeta Clan fortress." Barryk could feel the hate roll off his adopted younger brother at the mention of the dark Jedi's name. "I'm sure you know there is a garrison near the fortress. I couldn't beat Drakahn before, there is no guaranty I can now, and the garrison is lax, but it's still a garrison. The odds of even being able to land on the planet aren't good, but I have to try." Gade looked as though someone had ripped his heart out.

"I knew we couldn't get there in your bucket of mynock chow, so I uh.. lets just say 'borrowed'.. a ship that will get us there and bring us back alive." Kren replied, a hint of a smile touching his lips.

"You stole a ship?" Barryk leaned forward, his voice a bit louder than he intended and sounding horrified. Kren looked around quickly, though no one seemed to be paying attention, though in a place like this, starship theft would have been on the petty end of the criminal activity scale.

"Not _stole_, '_bo-rrowed'_. Geez, you'd think there wasn't a difference." Kren rolled his eyes.

"There _isn't_ a difference." Barryk hissed "We'll save her and get back in time for the Rebellion to shoot us."

"I'll use my natural charm and smooth things over when we get back. Trust me." Kren leaned back in the seat, the cloak falling back to reveal his big sidearm blaster and vibroblade. "You can't do this alone Barryk, and I'm not letting you go without me."

"You know why Drakahn wants her..." Barryk replied quietly, his eyes taking on a far off look. "We may already be too late. He may have already managed to unlock her ability and have turned her to the dark side. If that's happened, and she's beyond redemption, I may have to destroy her." his jaw clenched in emotional pain. Kren had not seen Rehn since she was a child, but he remembered her fondly. He kicked his friend in the shin, bringing Barryk's focus back.

"Have faith in her Barryk, she's strong." He got up and slid from the booth, looking down at Gade. "Common. We aren't getting anyone rescued while we sit in this dive. Lets move out, soldier." 


	14. Legacy

Drakahn stepped past the medical personnel as they lifting the imperial guard off of the concrete floor. Congealing blood ran across the smooth surface, connecting with another pools indicating where the second guard had fallen. He walked into the centre of the room, the same room Rehn had been beaten in, and let out a snort. His keen eyes shifted around, seeing nothing in the darkness but heard a deep, soft chuckle. He looked up into the shadow on top of a bunch of equipment crates and then he saw the glowing red eyes. What looked like a whip dangled from the shadows and swung back and forth lazily.

"Nice work, Vader." Drakahn growled in disgust.

"Why thank you, Messenger." Her voice was even deeper and softer than normal as she slowly came off her violence high. Though beaten, broken and bloody, the other two guardsmen would live. Only Temblin, the one who had actually caused Rehn's injuries, was dead. "It's so nice to have another artist admire my work. Don't be such a pouty shrag."

She spat out the racial slur with little or no venom, only as a note of inferiority. His ears flattened, and he pulled the dark side to him, reaching into the shadows for her. She laughed and slapped his sense away and it stung him as if she had smacked his hand. "Rage, these men were useful to me."

"Why? So they could beat up little girls for you because you're too much of a coward to do it yourself? There are better ways to break one so young, but with your diminished intelligence I am not surprised you could not think of any."

Drakahn gritted his teeth. She was really testing his patients, and it wasn't proving to be all that strong. "What do you know of intelligence? The Emperor is embarrassed by your behaviour. Do you think he keeps you out on the Rim because that's where you are needed the most? No, it's because he has deemed you unworthy to serve. You're nothing but a bitch to your species. You're a loose bitch at that."

She laughed at his angry words. "Tsk, tsk, tsk! Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me." her voice turned from silky and seductive to hard "You're nothing but an errand pony, sent to carry out assignments Vader finds beneath his notice. You're a joke and everyone knows it but you."

He lashed out, slamming a Force wave into the stacked crates, screaming a battle cry. She jumped off, did a mid-air somersault then landed on the floor in the light. She was covered in blood. A vibroblade wound pulsed at her side as she breathed. "Hit a nerve did I? The truth bites believe me, I know."

"You know nothing, child." Drakahn snapped, his teeth bared "I warn you. _Do not_ interfere with my work Rage...."

She walked up to him, her hips swaying, her eyes still glowing, but she smiled. "Away with your threats. I mean you no harm." He slowly calmed down, realizing she wasn't mentally stable. It was disturbing and it actually bothered him more than her killing and injuring his men. Something haunted her eyes; a vision of the future, or perhaps a memory of the past. It was said that she had been given the gift of foresight but had no ability to control or even really use it. He had always dispelled the rumours as nonsense. Now he reconsidered the idea.

"You don't like the way I run the garrison? Tough shit. Lodge a complaint with my employers. I think I'll take that vacation I've been needing." She stepped away "Momma always said a sucking chest wound was the gods way of telling you to slow down." She pressed a hand to her side and left him standing in a pool of blood.

****

-Kelly Black-


	15. Legacy

Rehn sat in her cell back in the Lakeeta fortress feeling miserable. _You disappoint me.. _the words played over in her head, tormenting her. Why did she care? She didn't care - did she? Gade did not know what bothered her more, the fact the she was ashamed she had not lived up to the bastard's expectations or the fact that she cared at all. Her thoughts where in turmoil. She paced the large room angrily, her tail wringing and swatting, the air around her alive with energy. It filled her, like water in an empty vessel. With a frustrated squeal she latched on to that power and slammed her fist down on the heavy wooden table in the middle of the cell, and it shattered at if it were made of glass. 

Drakahn looked at the monitor and smiled. It would have taken two troopers to pick up that table, and then only with great strain. She had destroyed it with a single blow of her fist. _She will be more difficult to handle as her power grows_ he mused. It didn't matter, he loved a challenge. A beep on his com display broke his reverie.

"What is it?" Drakahn asked testily.

"Forgive me my Lord, but the Emperor commands you to make contact with him." the officer said, his voice nervous. Drakahn jabbed the button, severing the link, and stepped to the holo pad. He knelt on one knee, his hands on the pad, his long neck bowed so deeply his muzzle was only centimetres from the floor.

"What is thy bidding, my Master." Every micron of arrogance was gone, replaced with submission and deference. Only Vader and the Emperor ever saw this side of Drakahn.

"Rise my loyal servant." Palpatine said with a sickly smile and Drakahn got to his feet, standing in the military 'at ease' stance. The Emperor's holo was immense, almost filling the room. "Lord Vader has told me nothing but good things of your endeavours."

"He does me a great service, Sire. The conditioning is progressing well. Her will is strong, but she will be ready for training soon."

"Has my dear little Rage caused you any grief?" He asked. The dark Jedi knew there was no sense in explaining the details-Palpatine knew them already, though Drakahn hadn't reported the incident. The Emperor had not attained supreme power by not being in the loop.

"She has had her fun. I do not think she will interfere with Gade's training."

"Diplomatically put, Drakahn. At least one of my servants is possessed of patience." Drakahn's gut grew cold with the implied slight to Lord Vader. For all the Thalcein knew, Vader could be with the Emperor now, just out of holo cam range. He thought quickly.

"I'm sure Lord Vader could have achieved results much more quickly than I." Drakahn replied. Sucking-up was not always a bad thing, if done right. The Emperor chuckled at Drakahn's attempt to defend Vader's notorious lack of tolerance for those who showed defiance or a strong will.

"You are quicker of wit than I sometimes give you credit Drakahn. Well said."

"Thank you, Master." he returned, smiling slightly and giving an inward sigh of relief.

"She is yours Drakahn, to do with as you like _after_ her training is complete. If she cannot be turned, her mind will be wiped and you can have what's left. " Palpatine said with a sneer. "I always reward absolute loyalty. It is so _very_ hard to come by." Drakahn smiled, his head bowing in humble thanks. Drakahn fervently hoped Rehn could be turned to the dark side. A mind wipe would leave her a shadow of her current self, snuffing the fire in her eyes, the fighting spirit in her he found so alluring. "However" the Emperor cautioned "If she proves resistant to a mind wipe, she must be destroyed." Drakahn nodded.

"I understand Master, and will do the task myself should it come to that."

********

Rehn stood before Drakahn, six meters away from the huge Thalcein. He had let her languish in her cell for two days with no outside contact of any kind. Her meals had been served through a slot in the door and by the time Drakahn had finally come for her she almost looked happy for his company. She had followed him of her own free will, albeit reluctantly and he had not bothered to put binders on her, for she had come to realise there was very little chance of escape- the place crawled with stormtroopers and surveillance devices. He had warned her as well, that should she attempt to escape, Lady Vader had threatened to turn her over to the garrison's troopers for 'sport'. The beatings and humiliations she had already suffered had frightened her sufficiently that binders and other restraints were no longer needed. 

Drakahn held two staves, one much larger than the other. He tossed the smaller of the two to Rehn. "Come, little one. Show me that warrior's fire." They were squared off in the training yard of the Fortress, a large, grassy field surrounded by immense stone walls. The was one door, and no escape. 

She looked at him suspiciously, remembering what had happened the last time she tried to attack him. She looked down at the six foot staff, and wished for the huge vibroblade she had carried until her capture. Her strong, velvet furred hands tightened around the wooden weapon. Her revery was broken as something tugged at her consciousness, like a warning indicator on a fighter's control panel. She instinctively dodged to the side, rolling on her shoulder and coming up in a quick combat stance, the staff held level at her side, pointing at Drakahn. He had covered the distance between them so quickly and quietly that she had almost not moved in time. Drakahn pressed his attack, dropping into a crouch and swinging his great staff at ankle level. She jumped and posted her staff into the ground, using it as a pole vault. She lunged at Drakahn, her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl, her left leg outstretch, trying to slash his throat with her spur. He duck and she sailed over his shoulder to land behind him. He pivoted on his right foot, lashing out with his left, and she wasn't ready for it. The kick caught her in the belly and drove the air from her lungs. Drakahn's kick could have easily killed her instead, but he restrained his natural aggression-she was no good to him dead. Rehn fell heavily to her knees, gasping for air and hadn't recovered enough to escape the next blow as Drakahn's staff hit her in the side of the face, from ear to chin. 

She fell on her back, dazed, her ears ringing, the staff knocked away by the force of the blow. Anger rise inside her. _How am I supposed to win? Even I know when I'm outclassed. _As the anger at the unfairness of her situation reached a boiling point, she suddenly became acutely aware of what was going on around her, as if her senses had just been super charged. Time seemed to slow as her eyes focussed and she saw Drakahn's huge three toed foot coming to stamp her into the ground. She threw her legs over her head, using the momentum to flip herself to her feet, dropping into a combat stance. 

Drakahn suppressed a triumphant smile. She had touched the dark side, and had used it to speed her movements. The power was an addictive drug he knew, and now that she had tasted it she would soon be hooked. She attacked with a ringing war cry, one hand balled into a fist and held at her side, while she struck out with the other, her hand open and flat, the heal of her palm pointed slightly up, aimed at his sternum. The air around her crackled with unseen energy as she used her anger to put power into what would be a killing blow. It never landed. Drakahn's mastery of the Force was more than a match for her unpractised manipulations and he grabbed her wrist, twisting it to the side and up between her shoulder blades as she was forced to turn with it. His other arm wrapped around the lower part of her heaving chest, pinning her other arm. She squealed furiously and thrashed, but his grip was firm and she felt her feet leave the ground. He held her tightly to him and her struggles ceased. Her teeth were bared and her breaths came in angry snorts.

"I am _very_ please, Rehn." his lips travelled the length of her sweaty golden neck, his voice soft and low. He spoke in their language, and to human ear, the words would have sounded like nothing more than a heavy nicker. She shivered and swallowed audibly, unsure of what to do next. It took all of his concentration to keep his urges under control. Not being able to use her until after her training was complete was beginning to cause him stress and frustration. He reluctantly released her, placing her gently on the ground and his hand slid low and gently across her belly as he pulled away. He turned and left her, her mind and emotions in utter chaos as she watched him go.


	16. Legacy

Rage was standing on the observation deck watching the fight from there. She had just run her eighth drill inspection over the last four hours and the stormtroopers were kneeling on the grass of the parade square, puking their lunches onto the lawn. Rage held her binoculars to her eyes and watched as Rehn, alone and obviously upset, began to play with the staff. 

"How in the world do they get so fat off this stuff?" Reg asked in horror as he poked at the lunch that was brought to them by the garrison cooks. The food was native.

"Stormtroopers will eat anything that won't eat them first, and sometimes they hazard it anyway." She snatched up a slimy looking black thing off the mess tray and stuck it in her mouth, chewing slowly. Her attention locked on Gade in the practice quad.

"They teach you that at the academy?" Reg asked in absolute disgust as he watched her chew. He made a face and pushed this plate away, grabbing a field ration bar instead.

"Yep, along with how to cook ewok. They're fat but tasty little bastards." she replied, a quirked smile twisting her lips.

Reg snorted and stood up looking over her shoulder. Rehn was practicing with the staff, her body language making it clear her mind was elsewhere. "What's she doing?"

"Making it apparent that she's never fought with a staff before. Darth Maul is rolling over in his grave...or the vacuum of space.. or wherever he ended up." She mused. "Trash compactor probably."

Reg took the Binoculars from her and looked through them. "Poor, kid. She has no idea what kind of trouble she's in."

Rage turned and headed down the tower steps. "No. No she doesn't, and neither does Drakahn after he awakens her abilities completely. He's going to have his hands full."

Reg followed her. "Oh? And if this does happen, and she's too much for him to control, what will become of the Lady Gade?"

Rage looked over her shoulder as she started walking towards the practice yard's gate. "If she falls into place with the Empire she'll be Drakahn's mate and the Emperor's newest enforcer. If not? Well, I'm not here JUST to make the troopers sweat you know."

Reg nodded understanding _should have figured as much_. He'd thought it a little strange that the Emperor would allow two of his best enforcers to get tied up in one matter. Palpatine wanted a backup plan should Drakahn's mission blow up in his face. Rage was the backup. Rage killed Jedi. It's what she did - what she was good at it.

Rage hit the lock on the door rose with a hiss of pneumatics. Although the walls were stone the arena was a little more modern than it looked. Rage approached Rehn and the young Thalcein flattened her ears, regarding the Sith with a careful eye. Gade felt a little more confident out here, where she had more room to fight. She gripped the staff in her hand tightly, ready should Rage attack her. The woman gave a slight bow in the old style greeting from the Thalcein heritage. Rehn snorted, her ears cocked in a questioning manor. "I'm like an over paid protocol droid, with a few extra bells and whistles." Rage gestured to the wooden weapon Gade held "You wanna really learn to use that thing?"

Rehn lifts the staff and then looks back at Rage, her eyes narrow and ever suspicious. "And why would you show me?"

Rage looked back at her calmly. "I don't have anything better to do for the next hour." a wicked, conspiratorial smile sliped to her dark red lips "And I wouldn't mind seeing you kick Drakahn's ass the next time the two of you play."

Rage pulled out her light sabre and removed the end cap. She then reached into one of the many pockets on her commando pants and pulled out a facetted deep red jewel. She slipped it into the end of her sabre, then replaced the cap and hit the switch. The weapon ignited at both ends creating a staff. "Comes in handy when you have two attackers. I don't care for it all of the time because you have to lengthen the sabre to allow for a better grip and the bigger power influx. My flux is of normal range so I can't keep the staff for any length of time or it'll overheat."

Rehn watched at a distance, mildly interested but always keeping a careful eye on the woman. "And the grip?"

Rage smiled "I'm just really careful. I once nearly cut my hand off." She moved through a quick warm-up then started showing Rehn several attacks and slashes. Rehn watched and mimicked, picking up the moves quickly. Rage never moved to actually spar with her and after a time a man entered and gestured with his hands "Hmmm gotta go and work the troops over again."

She switched off her lightsabre. It had become quite hot to the touch but it didn't seem to bother her hands through her gloves. The air around Rehn had begun to stink like ozone. Rage nodded and turned and left.

****

-Kelly Black-


	17. Legacy

Rehn woke with a scream, the sheets of her bed slashed and torn to ribbons. She was drenched in sweat, her heart pounding as though it would burst, her eyes wide and terrified, her body was racked by frustrated sobs. Every night since the beating by the guardsmen, she'd had the same nightmare, or at least she thought they were the same. She couldn't never remember anything about the dreams, and it tormented her to no end. She slid out of bed and began to pace, the same stereotypical movements of a caged animal. She had begun the neurotic pacing the same time the dreams had started and had started to lose weight as well. The thought of Barryk tampering with her mind bothered her immensely as well. She was certain _..wasn't she?...._ that her brother had not done it for the reasons Drakahn had insisted but that still left the question why had he done it at all. All she wanted was for the pain and confusion to go away. 

She swore she could still feel Drakahn's touch, and his hot breath against neck. What disturbed her above all else was that she hadn't disliked it. He could be so gentle at times, when he wasn't trying to intimidate or frighten her and he looked at her in a way few had before. She'd caught some of the young male Rebels glancing at her from time to time, though she'd thought it was due solely to the fact that most had never seen a Thalcein before. She'd never dreamed that they were actually looking at _her_. When his hand had slid across the skin of her belly that morning, she'd felt her heart hammer, and she knew deep down it wasn't from fear. When he gave her that occasional soft glance with those bright green eyes, she felt something stir deep within her, completely on it's own. It had been a long while since she had seen a male of her species, besides her brother, and she was starting to become aware of things that she'd hidden and ignored for the last year. She'd occasionally become short tempered and feel hot as though she was running a fever but it never lasted more than a few days, so she had never told anyone about it and had attributed it to battle stress. Her tormented thought drifted to Drakahn for no apparent reason and she snorted, shaking her head. _What's wrong with me?? He's the enemy for Adune's sake!_ She shivered and continued her pacing. She hated the control Drakahn had over her. He determined what and when she ate, when she would train, and what she wore. She was not used to being this tightly controlled, and it made her angry and resentful. 

The door opened suddenly as though on cue and Drakahn stepped into the darkened room. Her ears flattened and she tossed her head threateningly. Drakahn had been told of Gade's nocturnal habits, but had hoped they were an exaggeration. Apparently they had not been. Rehn's black sleeveless shirt and mid-thigh shorts were soaked in perspiration. He approached her, but she backed away from him with a snarl. Drakahn drew the dark side to him, letting it's corrupted power fill him. He touched her with it, staying well away from her mental barricade, letting it sooth and ease her anger and resentment. He looked at her steadily but in a non-threatening manner, and slowly her anger dissipated. He held out his chestnut furred hand to her.

"Come to me." it was a command, not a request, and Rehn spitted him with a defiant, mismatched stare. Drakahn put the weight of the dark side behind his words "_COME TO ME_." She broke eye contact with him and looked away, not wanting to obey just to spite him, but her resistance did not last long. As much as she thought she hated him, she found she was beginning to crave his praise and attention. She approached reluctantly, her eyes smouldering and stood before him, boring a hole in the floor with her eyes. He lifted her chin with a crooked fingered, trying to make her to look at him. She snorted and pulled her face away, but her grabbed her chin in a gentle but firm grip. She finally looked him in the eye.

"You must stop this behaviour. It is not becoming a warrior."

"Get your hands off me." she snarled, though it lacked much vehemence. It took much control for Drakahn to resist the urge to slap her. She was beginning to stretch his patients to it's limits with her smart mouth.

"I am worried about you. You have not eaten all day, and this.. this neurotic pacing must stop. You were doing so well and then you start this. I am most displeased."

__

Displeased- The words stung, like being slapped in the face. She was crestfallen.

"I...I'm sorry..." she could hardly believe she had thought the words, let alone said them. Drakahn pounced on her feeling of regret, the disgrace she felt for disappointing him. He released her chin and she bowed her head contritely. He stroked her cheek gently, then ran his finger up her the back of her delicate ear and for the first time, she did not attempt to pull away. 

"What troubles you, my beauty? You've not slept well in several nights." He ran his thumb along her jaw, and her skin twitched ticklishly. Rehn closed her eyes and found herself pressing her face into his touch.

"I.." a little voice in her mind screamed at her to remain silent and pull away from his touch. She ignored it completely. "I've been having nightmares." her voice was low, almost a whisper. She felt almost light headed and her heart raced. She felt his warm breath on her neck and he put his huge arms around her slowly. Something screamed at her that this was wrong, that he was the enemy and she should be trying to kill him and escape... but the voice as fading, as was her resistance.

"Tell me about these nightmares." his deep voice was hypnotic and his hand stroked her back. She found herself pressed against his powerful body and she rested her head on his chest. He nuzzled her neck and shoulder and she found it hard to speak.

"I can't remember. It's as though I'm not supposed to remember them." she replied, feeling the frustration rise again. Drakahn felt it to. This was not good. Something had triggered her mental barricade, and though her memory had not yet been unlocked into her consciousness, it was wreaking havoc in the subconscious part of her mind. If her memory was fully triggered all his work would be for nothing, and he would have to kill her. This would not do at all.

"Barryk's doing." Drakahn sounded angry, though she knew by his tone it was not directed at her. "He has done you a great wrong, Rehn." Her body shook slightly as she began to sob, though she tried to hold it back, her frustration and sense of betrayal growing worse and helped along in no small measure by the Messenger's influence in her mind. He was doing an intricate dance around her mental defences, and it took a lot of concentration, but with the dark side at his command, it was made relatively easy. He could see another Rehn within her, a Rehn eclipsed in darkness, a killer even more fierce and skilful than the one he now held in his arms. All he had to do was unlock, and control, that darkness within her. He could feel a sudden longing begin to bloom within the young warrior, and he became acutely aware of her firm, athletic body against his. He almost groaned with the effort to control his urge to grab the back of her neck in his teeth and force her to the floor. He released her from his embrace and stepped back a pace, needing to put distance between them. He noted the disappointment that flashed momentarily in her eyes as she opened them and looked at him as though she though she had somehow offended him. He stroked her cheek, reassuring her. 

"I will stay with you tonight an keep your dreams away. It hurts me to see you so upset." he said, guiding her back to bed. He had more sheets brought in to replace the ones she'd torn and she fell asleep quickly, obviously exhausted, as Drakahn began the intricate process of keeping her traumatic flashbacks buried. 

********

Drakahn postponed Rehn's training the next day to let her rest and sat in quiet meditation, driving away his fatigue. It had taken much concentration and control to stop her nightmares, as he had to dodge her ever present mental barricade and it had taxed his endurance to the limits. He sat on a large cushion near the head of her bed, his legs crossed, chin to his chest, breathing in deep, steady rhythms, immersing himself in the Dark Side. He felt Rage's presence before she even opened the door.

"Go away."

"My, my , aren't _we_ touchy this morning." she said with a sly smile, her eyes narrowed conspiratorially. He had tried to ignore her for the last week, ever since she had decided to play 'Hide-the-Vibroblade' with the Guardsmen. He could not allow her to distract him. "I thought males where usually in a _good_ mood after they get laid." 

Drakahn bristled at the suggestion, knowing she knew the Emperor had forbidden him to touch Gade before she'd been trained, or mind wiped, but showed no outward sigh of his irritation. "You have your nocturnal habits confused with mine, Rage." His voice was still calm and steady-he would not allow her to get to him this time. 

"Oh yeah, that's right. You aren't_ allowed_ to mount her yet." she replied, as though she'd forgotten "It must be horribly frustrating for you. Especially considering she now seems to want you to.."

"She will be mine soon enough." Drakahn growled. She was enjoying this too much, and it was starting to annoy him. "Don't like the way I do things? Take it up with my employer." he echoed her earlier words "What I do is none of your concern, human."


	18. Legacy

Rage's gaze darkened at this. He had used the term 'human' as she used the term 'shrag'. Apparently Drakahn was spending a little too much time with his own kind and was forgetting who the superior species was. _Now you did it, Drak_.. She though, a dark smile twisting her lips. _I come to give you good news and you go and piss me off.. _

She walked over to Rehn's sleeping form and Drakahn's eyes opened. They were bloodshot and he snorted a warning, which she ignore. Rage lowered her gloved hand, touching Rehn's face and the filly moved restlessly. Rage removed her hand and looked at Drakahn. "Suppressing her nightmares all night? Why, you must be tired…" the mocking concern in her voice was not subtle.

Drakahn glowered at her and was about to speak, but his words died in his throat. Rage's mental assault felt to Rehn as though someone had shoved a white hot metal poker into her eye socket, and she let out a ragged scream in her sleep. Her defence mechanism reacted almost instantly and Rage shut down her presence in the Force. She watched amused as Rehn's mental weapon sought the only mind left in contact with her - Drakahn's. The attack was stronger than before and this time he was too fatigued to block it. His hands went to his head as the Force blast collided with his brain, trying to shut it down and eliminate the threat. Drakahn screamed in agony and tried to summon the dark side, but in his weakened state it was almost unresponsive. The huge stallion surged to his feet, then fell heavily to the floor as Rehn kicked and groaned in her sleep and then slipped back into unconsciousness, her mind shutting down tight again. Drakahn opened his eyes to find himself staring at Rage's black boots. Blood poured out of his nostrils as he lifted himself up on his elbow. Anger and pain racked his tired body. "You Sith bitch" he snarled "....if you've destroyed the work I have done...."

Rage gave him a shove with her boot, forcing him over on his back. He looked up at her as she knelt on his massive, heaving chest. A gloved hand reaching down and smearing the blood off his muzzle over his face. "Don't worry. She caught my scent before I attacked her. She'll associate it with me and not her dear, sweet master." She tickled his bloody chin playfully and smiled "You'll be happy to know I've been called away to deal with a matter on a nearby planet. I won't be gone long."

She got off him but stayed crouched at his shoulder, her arms resting on her bent knees, her left glove dripping with his blood. "Don't miss me too much while I'm gone, beast." she stood and stepped over him, heading for the cell door and left without another word.

Davin Felth had pulled that night's watch and had witnessed the altercation between the enforcers through the wide open door. He hurriedly got out of Lady Vader's way as she left, leaving the injured Drakahn bleeding on the floor and he prayed that Alliance Intel had received his highly coded transmission. The Rehn that slept in the cell was not the same one who had tried to throw him off as he'd tried to restrain her on arrival here, and he knew time was running out. 

****

-Kelly Black-


	19. Legacy

It took Drakahn several hours in a deep dark side meditation to heal himself from Rehn's Force assault. While Rage had only been a bit of a distraction before, now she threatened to jeopardize his work. Rehn was still in the early stages of conditioning, and though he was progressing well, it was slow going. He had to proceed carefully. If he pushed her too hard her memory could return and she would then have to be destroyed. He was counting on Lord Vader to erase the memory entirely when he took over her training.

Rehn stretched as she awoke and shook her upright mane, not having felt this rested for longer than she could remember. She looked around the room and felt a twinge of disappointment when she did not see Drakahn. She could feel when he was near, like she could with Gellan. The hansom stallion was beginning to fill a void she did not want to admit existed and she was beginning to feel torn between her loyalty to the Rebellion and something she could not put her finger on as she was starting to long for his touch and occasional kind words. Her mid day meal waited for her on the floor by the door and she got up and collected it, not wanting Drakahn to think she was not eating again. She showered and dressed in the Jedi tunic and pants left for her, and waited patiently for Drakahn to arrive.

The door open early that evening and the hansom dark Jedi stepped into the room, offering her his hand. "Walk with me." She took his hand with little hesitation walking beside him. He took her to his lavish suite and out to the huge balcony with it's commanding view of the surrounding city, the garrison outside it's walls and the sunset beyond. Rehn stood beside Drakahn at the stone rail and watched the red-orange sun set. It was the first time she had seen scenery that wasn't surrounded by walls in weeks. A soft breeze blew into her face, making her forelock fly and ruffling her mane. She stretched her neck into the wind, inhaling deeply. 

"Do you remember much of our world?" he asked, his voice deep and soft. She leaned against the rail in thought, her brow furrowing.

"Only bits and pieces from when I was a foal." she replied, trying to remember "Everyone seemed so sad. They tried to hide it from me, but I knew. I don't really remember much of anything before I started training with Krall.." He could see that it bothered her greatly. 

"You will remember in time, Rehn. What Barryk has done to you is not permanent. As you grow stronger in the Force, you will be able to undo what has been done." He sincerely hoped not, but he sounded genuine enough. Drakahn noticed her flatten her ears at her brother's name. Time to move in for the kill.

"You have already learned much, young one. I am proud of you." Drakahn said softly into her ear, standing behind her and putting his arms around her slowly. His muzzle brushed along her golden neck, from shoulder to the tip of her ear, which flicked ticklishly away. She closed her eyes and he felt her tremble at his touch, but instead of pulling away, she leaned into him. He felt Rehn's heart race, could feel the conflict within her. Part of her wanting to defy him in every way possible, the other part wanting so much to please him and hear his praise. Drakahn knew that it was no longer because of fear that she obeyed him. It was because she _wanted_ to. The thought made him smile. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked, his voice a heavy whisper in her ear. Rehn felt her cheeks flush, though it was invisible beneath her golden fur.

"N-no....."she replied honestly. She had never socialized with anyone other than Gellan, too focused on her work and too busy keeping her skills honed to bother. To her there was little point in making friends within the Rebellion - they either got transferred to other ships and outposts, or they got dead. Having no friends was insulation against the pain of loss a death would cause. Drakahn's arm slid slowly down her body and rested low across her waist, the other around the upper part of her chest at the base of her throat. Gade's body stiffened and she felt suddenly trapped and frightened. Drakahn sensed it as well, but did not relinquish his hold on her and nuzzled her neck and shoulder. He found her scent almost intoxicating.

"I find that I am quite ..."he kissed her cheek tenderly ".. drawn to you, Rehn." that was an understatement of course. His frustration was growing. He knew he could have her right now if he wanted, and it was unlikely she would put up much of a protest, but he had to obey his Master. To his surprise she turned in his arms and opened her eyes, looking up at him. Gone were the hard eyes of a trained warrior and the fearful eyes of a prisoner of war. Her mismatched eyes now reflected what he so much wanted to see - the uncertain, innocent eyes of a filly who's resistance and defiance to both him and the dark side was almost completely shattered. She reached up and tentatively nuzzled his throat and jaw, pressing her body into him. She felt suddenly warm and light-headed as she inhaled his musky, pleasant smell. She felt a sudden, strong need to be with him, and her hips unconsciously pressed a little more firmly into him. Drakahn's jaw clenched with the effort of keeping his arousal from becoming glaringly evident. He release her from his arms and took a step back. She could not hide her confusion was he pulled away, wondering if she'd done something to offend him.

"It is late, and you need your rest..." He said clearing his throat and snapping his fingers. Stormtroopers entered the massive room and escorted her back to her quarters. It would not do to overplay his hand. She had indeed matured quickly, and her body knew what it wanted, even if her brain did not. He could have her now if he wished, _and then_, Drakahn thought a sneer coming to his lips, _your failure protect your daughter will be complete, Seph. _The Jedi Master's final and utter defeat was at hand. He would take Rehn ask his mate, and she would bear his heirs. The foals would be more than merely continuations of his bloodline, they would be the Emperor's next generation of enforcers. Drakahn knew Barryk would come for his sister, and Gade's concern for her would be his undoing. Once Barryk was eliminated, the Gade bloodline would come to an end while his would continued on, using the heir of his Clan's oldest enemy, who was also the last hope uniting the scattered Thalcein people. Revenge was indeed a dish best served cold.


	20. Legacy

Rage stood near the sand barge picking the sand out of her teeth. Jabba the Hutt laid sprawled out next to her, his servant fanning him and rubbing his disgusting body with oils and coolants. He was small for a Hutt but he was still young...only a 180 or so years old. Rage was fluent in Hutt and listened as he stated once again what a grievance coming out here and letting her pick through HIS town was. "Yes, I understand that, sir. But the Empire is extremely grateful. We are in need of those supplies stolen, they are to feed many of our hungry civilians in the core." The Hutt chuckled, and spoke again. Rage keeping her face looking out at the dunes, prayed to the Force for a clean fresh breeze that would take his stench away. "Yes, of course. I am aware that many of the smugglers are under your protection. We'll clear all matters with you after we find this rebel and will pay you compensation for his loss."

Jabba belched loudly and grunted a notion of agreement. The stench from his gullet made spots appear in front of her eyes and she swayed...her sinus cavity burning like she had inhaled acid. She felt a hand on her arm steady her and a rough, filtered voice whisper into her ear. "You should have worn your Sith Mask."

Rage turned away form Jabba and looked down at Fett. "Wouldn't have been diplomatic." Rage turned back to the Hutt briefly to excuse herself and stepped away with Fett at her side. "He's getting too powerful...the Emperor should put an end to it."

"The Hutt's make life miserable enough that many choose the empire. That has it's advantages. How is the Thalcein doing?" he asked somewhat casually

"Good.....well physically. Drakahn has ways of getting around her suicidal tendencies." Rage was suddenly suspicious. "Why?" Fett just looked at her in silence. Rage rolled her eyes. "All right....how much."

Fett crossed his arms over his armoured chest and looked up at the taller, black clad Sith. "Twenty five." 

Rage's teeth ground. "Fifteen." Fett turned and walked towards his swoop, obviously not impressed. Rage reached out and caught his arm, careful not to be too forceful. "All right, bounty hunter. Twenty and that new targeting software for Slave 1 you've been bitching for."

"Agreed. You have a rebel in your midst. He leaked out information about Rehn Gade and a couple of Rebels have gone rogue. One of them is an infiltrator of some repute. They're stalled right now but a rescue attempt is being planned." 

Rage's eye locked on the black visor of the hunter's helmet. "Names?"

"For twenty?" Fett asked as if she had just asked a stupid question.

"Names…"

He stared at her through his mask. Rage clicked her teeth - she couldn't afford anymore, and he knew it. He was after something else - the armor plating that was being used on the new battle station, but she didn't have that kind of power. Rage reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a data record, punching in her code and the amount before handing it to him. "Thank you Fett. I talk to you later."

"Only if they raise your allowance." He replied dryly. "Lady Vader." he said, dismissing himself and returning to Jabba.

********** 

Rage stood at the front of the open troop skimmer, letting the wind cool her slightly as the double suns beat down on her. She wore her normal sleeveless black top, commando pants and special goggles blocking the suns harmful glare from her eyes. Her mind turned over Fett's information and what she could do with it as the skimmer pulled into Mos Eisley. It came to a gentle halt and she jumped down. The natives grew nervous at the sight of her, as she cut an imposing figure; eyes hidden behind her goggles, dressed in all black, her figure striking and held tightly by her clothing. A black hooded cape whipped out behind her in the wind and she folded her arms in front of her. Before her were a large group of citizens that were standing in line waiting to be questioned. Large shipments of Imperial supplies had been raided and Lord Vader had traced the pirates to Tantooine. They were going to be found if they had to tear the planet apart. 

Rage unsnapped the cape from her shoulders and tossed it back on the skimmer. The citizens, standing in a staggered line, pressed back from her presence as she walked into the shade and her bored eyes scanned over the crowd. She caught sight of a young man only about a year older than herself, the look of naive innocence seemed to gleam from his light blue eyes. She'd caught him looking her over and he blushed a deep red. Rage started over towards him, almost drawn to him for some reason, when something in the Force made her turn as a man began screaming at the stormtrooper Captain. She change direction without breaking strike and headed in the direction of the disturbance, missing the exchange between the boys aunt and uncle and an older hooded figure farther back in the crowd.

"Captain Andra. Is something the matter?" Her voice was almost pleasant and tinged with amusement.

"No, M'Lady." the trooper replied "Though this fellow seems to believe that he has the right not to answer our questions."

Rage took the chart from the Captain and looked over the conversation as it had been recorded."So you sir are the local mayor?"

"Yes!" the man replied indignantly "As I have been telling these fools! My people have to get back to their jobs! We have moisture to collect before the Sand People get to it!"

Rage turned and handed the data board back to another officer and fixed the mayor with a questioning stare "_Your_ people?"

"Yes…" he replied, sounding frustrated and gesturing around him "My people here..."

"**_Your_** people?" She stepped closer to him and towered over him, he stepped back and bumped into an stormtrooper who stood behind him "There is no 'your' people. You live because the Empire has a use for you and when that use runs out you will no longer live. It is a simple way to exist. A hardy way. A way full of order. This order is what I enforce, and _you_ sir, are disrupting my order. You will stand by and help with this investigation or you will become un-useful. Do you understand this?" the man was now literally quaking in his boots

His head bowed unable to look her in the eye anymore. "Y...yes.. my Lady."

There was a kind of sigh of relief that ran through the crowd as the mayor backed down…. except for the older man in the back, wearing the worn robe. He suddenly tensed. Rage looked down at the shorter, grey haired mayor and her eyes were unforgiving. "No I don't think you do. Not completely." She gestured with her head at the young, apprehensive couple standing a few meters away. "This is your son and his wife?" She stepped past the mayor and reached a black gloved hand into the crowd, pulling the handsome young man in his early twenties.

"..Yes M'Lady." the Mayor's eyes became confused.*

"Hmmm, good looking guy." she commented "I see you have a grand child on the way... Make sure you tell her why her father died." the young man suddenly grabbed at his throat as it was crushed by an invisible force, his eyes bulging as he clawed at his neck leaving obscene tears in the flesh.

"NO! JEUSON! No no, please M'lady...don't!" He ran to his son, but Rage released her Force grip on the young man and he toppled, vomited blood then fell on his side - dead. His pregnant wife knelt crying at his side, shaking his shoulder.

"So now, if you don't want to see your grandchild aborted before your eyes, I suggest you try to be a little more helpful." She gave him a pleasant smile "Have a nice day!" Rage turned and walked towards a duo of black uniformed Lord's Guards. The Guard were the elite of the elite, special officers to Lord Vader himself. The blonde Guard stood shaking his head and chuckling. Rage shook their hands and they began to chat and joke around, ignoring the scene behind them.

"Lady Vader I'm a bit surprised to see you here. Thankful but surprised." Sai Tyler said in greeting. He was taller than Rage, with golden blond hair, dark, mysterious brown eyes and look like a recruitment poster boy.

"Yes, well the Emperor took this larceny personally. Seems some of his property was taken, a young girl from Debina I believe. She was on the shipment." A trooper stopped and handed her a chart that she signed after reading it over, giving one of the farmers their walking papers.

"Yes, and Lord Vader won't come to this accursed planet. I always wondered if it was because of the heat or the smell of the Hutts!" Tyler mused. The group chuckled.

Jesh Mirsa, somewhat shorter than both Tyler and Rage with jet black hair and blue eyes, shook his head as he signed a chart. Every chart giving the citizens back their freedom needed a the personal signature of a Lord's Guard or Lady Vader. It was tedious work and they barely read them over before signing. "He won't go to Naboo either. Now their is a planet I wouldn't mind being stationed on. Clean air! Beautiful, rich women! Of course they all pale in comparison with Lady Vader but M'Lady only has so many sleep cycles."

Rage chuckled. "Keep that crap up and I'll have you sitting on the senate making trillions and snorting spice straight from the spider's ass."

Jesh snorted a laugh. "And miss all this glamour and excitement? No way. Still… I wonder why no Naboo."

Internally Rage searched for an explanation, or at least anything but the truth. The lie slipped off her tongue as easily as her recent murder slipped off her conscience. "Probably those damn Gungans. By the Force they're pesky, annoying creatures."

Jesh nodded in agreement but smiled. "Yeah but I hear their legs taste good roasted over a sharp flame with a little rincer oil." They all laughed.

Tyler's laugh died off first as he read over the chart he had in his hand. "Kenobi....Kenobi....why does that name seem so familiar."

Rage's smile died abruptly and she looked up sharply. "First name?"

"Ben?" Tyler shrugged.

They turned and walked over to where the older man stood draped in a tattered robe. "Good afternoon, citizen. Are you wanted in any system for offences against the empire?" Tyler asked in an official voice.

The man had a white beard and blue eyes. His skin was tanned and almost leathery from years of exposure to the elements. Rage felt a chill down her back as her black eyes locked with his blue ones. "No, of course not." he replied affably "I'm a hermit. I haven't been off this planet since ....oh before her Ladyship here was born."

Rage studied him and touched the Force, felt it flicker then die off. No this wasn't the Obi Wan Kenobi she had heard stories about. Defeating the Trade Federation and running off with the wife of Darth Vader. Too bad, that would of been interesting. She smiled and he returned it. "I don't suppose you have Amidala Skywalker stuck under your robes anywhere do you?" She laughed and the rest of the group including the old man just stared at her. She stopped laughing and waved dismissively at her humour "Never mind. Inside joke."

As they spoke, the Lars family with their nephew Luke Skywalker in tow, received their papers. Rage signed them without even reading the names. "No, Lady Vader. I have no idea what you're talking about." The old man replied.

A local official looked up and scoffed at the man. "That's just old Ben. He lives out beyond the dune sea. Just kind of a strange old wizard."

Rage lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms, her curiosity and suspicion piqued. "Wizard?" 

Tyler leaned forward signing the papers. "Why you in town then, if you're a hermit? Picked a bad day..."

"I was wondering what all of the noise was about, and I needed supplies." Ben just caught Owen Lars' gaze and quick nod and the family walked quickly away. He relaxed a bit turning back to Rage. "They call me wizard because I know a few tricks."

Tyler looked at him handing him his papers. "Kind of nosey for a hermit aren't you? I don't suppose you've seen anything out on the dunes...a ship...men...maybe moving contra band?"

Rage shifted her feet, biting on the inside of her cheek. Her eyes locked with the hermit's. "What kind of tricks?" Tyler shot her an annoyed glance but she ignored him. Ben stepped forward and slowly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. As his hands came back into view, a small rodent with big ears was now sitting on his finger tips. "OH! That is so cute!" Rage took the small white creature from him and cradled it carefully in her hands like a child. "Hello there little guy! I think I'll call you Xizor. Yeah.....he's a rodent too but you're much cuter...so much cuter.. yes you are!" She brought the softly furred creature to her face and it licked her nose. "Ahhh, did you see that Tyler? He gave me a kiss."

"Yes, Lady Vader...very interesting. If you don't mind I'm asking this citizen some questions." She stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to 'Little Xizor'. Kenobi watched with fascination. Could this be the same person that killed an innocent boy because his father had been too strong willed? This child-like enforcer who was fascinated by a furry animal and a simple trick of the hand? The same person who could kill a person and destroy life with a mere thought? It was amazing. Her resemblance to her grandmother was startling on the outside but her character and inner light was completely different. A Force user wouldn't even know they were related but without the Force they were looked almost identical. Rage was several inches taller and a lot more muscular than her grandmother and her eyes were a deep blue/black while her grandmother Rave's were a deep violet.

Rave Dawnstar was one of the most noted of Jedi heroes. She had given up all her glory, never to attain the rank as a master, all for the love of her husband Sierra Dawnstar. Sierra was the greatest political leader of the Jedi ever to be documented, his disappearance causing the Jedi became disorganized and to fight amongst themselves and helping to bring about the mighty Jedi purge. With last of his line was turned to the dark side and adopted into a royal Sithian house, the final last stake had been driven through Sierra's heart Kenobi answered the Lord's Guard's questions while watching Rage play with the rodent. She finally set him in one of her pockets, squeaking to him. The Guard signed the old man's papers and Obi-Wan walked away, his heart heavy.

****

-Kelly Black-


	21. Legacy

Barryk slammed his fist down on the ships control panel and the indicator lights flared to life. He smiled triumphantly-and then they winked as if on cue. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head in frustration. It had been six days since their departure from Casaba, and he knew they were running out of time.

"Where did you pick up this heap of bantha shit?" he asked, looking in Kren's direction, his face a study in disgusted wonderment. "And you had the nerve to call _my_ ship a 'bucket of mynock chow'!" Kren was half hidden under the ship's coolant exchange pump, covered in errant wires and grease, a hydrospanner resting on his chest. He twisted his neck and body around so that he could see his friend.

"Shhhh!" he said, putting a grease smeared finger to his lips, his bright blue eyes looking about him as though he expected some kind of horrible catastrophe to befall them. "Don't bad-mouth the ship, dude! She'll hear you....." Kren went back to his work mumbling "Don't worry, baby, he didn't mean it.."

Barryk was going to suggest to Kren that maybe he should have his head examined but knew it was a moot point. Kren wasn't crazy, but he did have a bizarre sense of humour. They had been virtually stranded on Dantooine after Kren's, the _Arcapus, _had blown most of the fuses in it's hyperdrive. They had been working almost around the clock for the last four days, trying to get it space worthy again. The ship, an ancient Corellian YT-1200 stock light freighter, belonged to the Alliance but Kren had 'liberated' it for their unsanctioned mission. The delay was frustrating, and Barryk knew they were running out of time. Kren's voice emanated from under the exchange pump, and Barryk flicked and ear in his direction.

"Give that panel another smack, would 'ya?"

Barryk was only more than happy to.

__

*********

The incoming com call woke him with it's first irritating beep. He had spent most of the day showing Rehn how to focus her negative emotions and call on the Force, and it had taken much of his control to keep her power in check. She was becoming powerful, and required more supervision than before. His voice was low and menacing. "If this is not a crisis, your life is in peril." The disembodied voice that replied sounded as though it were terribly bored.

"Garrison Security, My Lord. You said you wished to be informed if the prisoner.." The bored voice replied but never got to finish. It was nearing shift change, and it was obvious that this call was incurring unappreciated overtime.

"Pacing again?" the dark Jedi interrupted, rolling out of bed and grabbing the hand-held com unit as he threw on his clothes.

"She's.. well... here m'Lord, listen for yourself." the voice now held a degree of uncertainty, as though not sure what to make of what he was seeing. The officer on the other end of the com flipped a switch and audio from the inside of Rehn's cell was transmitted for Drakahn to hear. A scream of frustration and the sound of heavy, angry breathing came over his com. Drakahn's eyes narrowed.

"Inform the guards I'm on my way and to not interfere with her in any way."

__

This is it Rehn told herself _it has to be now_.She felt the power of the dark side obey her commands as she pulled in her anger and hate of both the Empire and her current situation. The nightmare had awoken her again, leaving her with a deep, seething and unexplainable hatred for Drakahn. Only two days before she would have been willing to let him .. ~_What_ _exactly_ **were** _you going to let him do?~_ an angry voice snapped at her in her mind and the thought of Drakahn touching her made her sick ~_You are such a _**chump**! _He's_ **playing**_ with you_.. **seducing** _you. He is the_ **enemy**!~ She shook her head and screamed in frustration, trying go banish the voice. No more. She was not going to be manipulated any more, by anyone. If she didn't escape tonight, she would die trying. She took a deep breath and bellowed a challenge that rang off the walls of her cell like the peel of a great bronze bell. 

Davin Felth watched the monitor as Gade paced the room. Pace was not quite the right word for it, he thought. She looked like the sand panther he had seen once at a zoo one his home world. She stalked, her eyes glowering, her head held low, ready to strike like a venomous serpent. Her soft fur was dark and patchy with a heavy sweat and anywhere where her clothing rubbed her hide it was churned into a thin white lather. It had been going on for some time now and he only hoped that whoever was watching the cell's security monitors back at the garrison was either too lazy or uncaring to report her behaviour to the Death's Messenger. He'd hoped she would calm down on her own, but her anger only seemed to grow and intensify. Even though most of his humanity had to be hidden so that his cover was not blown, he so very much wanted to tell her that he had gotten the word out, and that help was on it's way. He had not had any contact with her since the night he had seen the altercation between the Deaths' Messenger and Rage Vader, but it was apparent something had happened in that time. He was so busy watching cell's monitor he did not even hear Drakahn approach.

"How long has this been going on?" he demanded. Felth nearly jumped out of his armour and he spun in surprise to face the huge Thalcein.

"A-about half an hour, my Lord." Drakahn looked at the monitor, and was not happy. He closed his eyes, drawing the dark side to him, and opened the door, slamming it behind him. She stopped pacing and he looked down at her balefully. To his growing irritation she returned it unflinchingly, her ears flattened and teeth bared. The defiance and hate had returned to her eyes with a vengeance, and they seemed to blaze. He was not amused.

"You will cease this behaviour _immediately_." Drakahn growled. "I am most displeased." Rehn tossed her head and glowered back at him in defiance. Drakahn was quickly losing patience.

"I don't really give a shit." she replied sarcastically. Her voice had such vehemence, yet a smile twisted her dark lips. "What did you trade besides your soul and your people to be the Emperor's pawn? Maybe you provide him with a little extra entertainment? I'm sure his human concubines get a little tiresome after a while." 

"You have taxed my patience to the limit, young one. I have treated you well, shown you things about yourself you never before knew.." he growled, his voice angry and disgusted "And _this_ is how you repay my kindness?" She was going to learn not to speak to him in any tone other and respectful. She tossed her head in his direction arrogantly, her feet prancing and the attack came so quick he nearly missed it. She leapt, her leg lashing out, her spur cutting the air where his throat had been only moments before. Her lethal spur grazed his cheek, making a deep laceration. He reached up and put a hand to the wound, then looked at the dark blood dripping from his fingers. His angry green eyes shifted back her.

"Kindness?!" she snapped in contempt "You're old enough to be my father and you tried to seduce me! If Barryk were here he'd hang your head from the palisades, you sick bastard."

"Seduce you?" Drakahn asked, sounding incredulous "I did not hear you protest that night I took you from this cell and to my quarters to give you some freedom. It was rather apparent that you would have given yourself to me had I asked you to." he studied her and felt her wince inwardly, knowing he was right "Perhaps you are not as innocent as you seem. Was Gellan more than just your superior officer?" he asked accusingly, looking down at her as if she were somehow tainted. "Did he maybe teach you a little more than was in the training manual?" By the look on her face Drakahn knew he had found the right button to push. Incensed, Rehn drew hard on the dark side, focussing somewhat clumsily for her next attack. "And what _of_ your brother? If he was going to come for you, he'd have done it by now. No one is coming for you, Rehn. Not the Rebellion, not your brother.. _No one_. The sooner you accept this, the easier it will be."

Rehn shook her head in denial. No… Barryk had to be coming for her.. He wouldn't just forsake her… would he? 

Drakahn's teeth ground in anger. He had expected her to rebel at some point, when she had begun to realize her power and would try to slip her leash, but he had not expected it quite this soon. He could feel her draw the dark side to her and could feel his throat constrict as she focussed on him. He blocked the attack easily. She blinked and shook her head as he used the Force to suppress her ability. Her control was shaky, her concentration easily broken and it was then a simple matter to then block her ability almost completely. Gade looked at him in surprise as the Force abandoned her, and Rehn knew she was in serious trouble. Drakahn approached her, his ears flattened, his eyes fierce and lashed out with a vicious back hand that hit her in the mouth and spun her around. Rehn's head rocked back from the blow and she was thrown into the wall. She began to slide to the floor, scrambling to stay upright as blood filled her mouth. He moved in on her with an angry snarl. Grabbing her by the throat with a massive hand, the Messenger lifted her from her feet and pinned her to the wall. He licked the blood from her lip and gave her a sadistic, narrow eyed smile as he pressed his body into her, delighting in the look of terror that flashed in the young prisoners eyes. His frustration and aggression were about to be alleviated.

Felth stood outside the door, listening through the sensors in his helmet. _Oh gods.. _Felth didn't know what to do, and stood looking helplessly at the door of the cell with a sick feeling in his gut. He heard Rehn's choked, terrified and pain filled screams that eventually became little more than broken whimpers. Davin thought he would be sick, and turned the external audio sensors in his helmet off, unable to listen to her desperate struggles any longer. _Forgive me, Rehn_. After what seemed like an eternity, Drakahn opened the door and stepped into the hallway, his face a cold, emotionless mask, his chest heaving. He was sweating heavily, as though he'd just finished a vigorous workout. Davin noticed the long, deep cut to his cheek, but the huge stallion seemed otherwise unharmed. Drakahn straightened his clothing and didn't even look at Felth when he spoke. 

"Summon the garrison medical staff." was all he said, and then he walked away. The rebel agent waited until the dark Jedi was gone before slipping into the cell. Rehn lay on her left side in a crumpled heap on the cement floor in a pool of her own dark blood. The front of her bloody shirt was torn and vicious tooth impressions marked her shoulders and neck, particularly behind her ear where her head and neck joined. He knelt at her shoulder and lay a hand on it reassuringly. Her eyes were closed and she was bleeding from the nose and mouth. It turned to pink froth as she tried to breath. 

"Hang on Rehn, help is coming." he wished he could tell her more, that someone was probably coming to get her out, but he couldn't. Something was very different about her than the first time he had seen her. He couldn't quite put his finger. He had seen her with Drakahn, and no longer thought she could be completely trusted. He sent the priority message direct to General Ranikin, who had a shuttle sent to Drakahn's fortress to collect Gade. Her pulse was thready and weak when the med personnel arrived and loaded her onto a stretcher and hustled her to the shuttle. She had five broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken arm and had almost bled to death by the time she was taken to the garrison. She was stabilized and dropped into the bacta tank for a three day stay in the med ward. 

__


	22. Legacy

Rage sat in the middle of the floor in her stateroom. All of the furniture had been moved to an adjoining room and only one overhead light source remained on. She breathed silently and looked to be made of stone, a sculpture cast from angelic flesh. Regera stepped into the room and looked around at the various art paintings on the walls and ceiling. Usually they were shown with their own light source, but Rage had turned them all off. 

During their trip in hyperspace on their return from Tatooine, she had suddenly stepped off the bridge of her Star Destroyer and retired to her quarters. Reg had been curious though had said nothing, but after four hours had come down to see what she was doing. Her meditation was deep and he could see her eyes moving under her thin, delicate lids. They came out of hyperspace just outside of the Cey'lon system and suddenly her eyes opened and stared right at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his face uncertain. 

A smile touched her lips. "Nothing....just a shift in the force. Drakahn has had his hands full." She easily rose to her feet without using her hands for support and headed towards the door. Regera fell in step beside her as she stepped form her cabin and headed towards the hangar.

********

Rage stood in front of the bacta tank that held Rehn. She had only been submerged for a day and Rage looked at the screens that showed the injuries that were quickly healing. Reg laid his palm on the glass. "He loose it you think?"

Rage's finger tapped at the screen. She should have seen this coming. The Emperor's order forbidding Drakahn to do more than just touch her was making him incredibly frustrated. "Well this is a bit far to prove a point. I'd say she threw a fit and he got carried away. Either that or this is some kind of training technique that I haven't seen before."

Reg stood considering something, then spoke up quietly. "Kinda like when you came back from Nar Shadaa after your little stint with the Rebellion? But he didn't go as far as Vader."

He could almost sense her bristle. The anger and fear flowed into her eyes but she held her temper, for his sake. "No, Vader didn't want to turn me. I was already his. That was _completely_ different. Drop it."

He nodded without turning to look at her or dropping his hand from the clear plastic. "The Emperor will be interested in this. If she's too much for Drakahn to handle, she's a threat."

"I've already spoken with the Emperor. He has plans for Rehn, though his main concern now is Barryk. Rehn is merely the bait." She sighed and rubbed her neck. "I guess he saw all of this coming a while ago. He has begun to think that Drakahn may be a little too distracted by his own personal agenda concerning the filly. He has commanded me to test the Messenger's loyalty."

Reg finally turned and looked at her. "That certainly doesn't sound very safe."

Rage turned and motioned for him to stay there. "Not in the least.."

********

Rage stood in the garden, the three moons set high above creating a silver, eerie half light. She bent at the waist and pulled a delicate night blooming iris to her nose and inhaled it's scent, taking the sweet smell deep into her scarred lungs. She sensed him behind her, though Drakahn hadn't made a sound.

"I noticed your student at the medical facilities again. Keep it up and they're going to start charging her rent. What happened?" She slowly turned around and looked up at the huge Thalcein. "She run into a door?" 

Drakahn crossed his huge arms and blew a deep breath from his nostrils "It is none of your concern."

Rage touched the force and felt it at her side. It was pulsing and alive, ready to be bent to her will. "She's too much for you isn't she?" Drakahn only glared at her. "I thought she would be. You've underestimated her, haven't you? Perhaps it is time we implement plan 'B' then... maybe even plan 'C'."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Drakahn snapped. He wanted the complete mind wipe done only as a last resort, and destroying Rehn would mean he had failed. He would do it if he had to, but not until all other options were exhausted. "What do you know about her or her abilities? That she's too powerful? For you maybe, but she will learn who her master is." He stomped a foot but controlled his temper.

"She will? How?" Rage asked in reply. "Beating her to the point of death will solve nothing." 

"She respects strength." he growled "She will accept me and bend to my will. I could have her any time I wish, and she would not spurn my advances."

Rage smiled, her Sith armor squeaking slightly as she shifted her weight. "Seems you're the one doing the bending." Rage slide a gloved finger over her own face, using the gesture to indicate the scar Rehn had left on his hansom face "She make you grab your ankles with that one did she?"

Rage wanted to step back, but the trigger had been pulled and now she had to face the consequences. He took two strides and was on her, striking out with his foot. She dodged nimbly, feeling his anger, and blocked the punch that came after the strike, deflecting his big fist into the stone wall behind her. A large piece of the masonry broke away and fell to the ground from the power of his blow. She picked up the large chunk of rock with the Force and sent it into his chest. He held his ground but took the hard hit and he heard his ribs snap. The stone fell and Rage stood at a crouch, one finger touching the ground, her eyes watching him. He was powerful but his size slowed him down, she was quicker.

"What's the matter, lover boy? The big bad, female have you on the ropes?"

"Hardly, child." He let loose with a force blast that she blocked crossing her arms before her in an X and forcing the blast to either side of her. It was powerful enough to make the joints in her shoulders ache.

"Admit it Drakahn, She's become too much." Rage replied "I was expecting as much the way you were fawning over her. You're afraid to turn her by force because you know it will unlock her repressed memories and she'll destroy you. She will soon be to powerful for a mind wipe. It's time to end this and kill her while you still can, fool. It is the will of the Emperor." Rage watched as Drakahn turned this over in his head. He had never let himself truly consider that he might not be able to control her, but the actions of the other night had worried him. Too bad for Rage she had brought these doubts to light. She never saw the chunk of stone that she had thrown earlier rise, then bear down on her from behind. She was hit in the back and her scapula was crushed, her face driven into the soft soil and the taste of grass filled her mouth. She was just able to pick herself up with her good arm when she felt a tug in the force and was able to turn her face, missing a good part of the downward strike, but not all of it. Drakahn's fist caught her ear and tore the cartilage making her ears ring painfully. She threw herself to one side but didn't get her arm out of the way quick enough as he kicked. Her upper arm snapped and dislocated and would have torn completely off her body had she not been wearing her light armor. She fell back and kicked up at him, catching him in the thigh. The thick bone held, so she slid her feet up the inside of his inner thigh and jammed her heals into his groin. The Thalcein bellowed with anger and pain. He picked her off the ground by her leg and slammed her face first into the stone wall, shattering her jaw, the force of the blow making her bite off a piece of her tongue. She swallowed back the lump of flesh and blood as he snapped her lower leg like a twig, driving the bones out of the skin.

Rage sucked in a mouth full of air as the pain hit her and tore off her glove, her eyes flashing red in the moonlight. Drakahn realized what she was about to do and raised a forearm, but it was too late as the lightening danced from her fingers and sliced into his body. He staggered back with a grunt as it interrupted his nervous system and ran it's course up his spine, dropping him to his knees. Exhausted and in agony, Rage curled into a defensive ball and looked up at him. He snorted and shook his head. "Impressive." His chest heaved and his voice was raspy "If the child is too much for me then she will be destroyed, as is her destiny." He slowly rose and staggered away without another word. Rage looked up at the moon and blinked slowly before closing her eyes, blood running from her mouth and nose. She touched the Force and gently brushed Reg's mind, a signal for him to inform the garrison med facilities to come for her. 

Drakahn had answered the question, truthfully and with no room for doubt. Quite a painful way to find out were one's loyalties lie, but it had worked. She closed her eyes and let the Force sweep her away in a dark tide of pain.

****

-Kelly Black-


	23. Legacy

Drakahn sat at Rehn's bedside when the sedative wore off. Her eyes fluttered as she slowly began to come around and he reached to touch her cheek, but she gave a frightened snort and shrank away. Rehn trembled visibly, her breathing harsh through distended nostrils. The bed was against a wall and she could not get away. Her eyes squeezed shut as he gently stroked her cheek.

"I told you the price of disobedience when we first met, little one." his voice was soft but reproachful, his eyes concerned. He looked her in the eye, keeping his posture dominant. She had to know he was her master, and that she must obey or the consequences would be severe "It hurt me more than you will know to have to punish you in such a way. You forced me to take action against you, Rehn. I warned you that disobedience would not be tolerated." He slowly pulled her to him, painfully aware that she was covered only by a bed sheet. Rehn didn't resist him, but did not stop trembling. He touched her with the dark side of the Force, making his words sound much more sincere than they actually were. It seemed like forever, but she stopped trembling, and began to cry. "There is no escape from the Empire, Rehn. The sooner you accept your fate, the happier you will be, my _love_." she choked off a sob and looked up at him almost timidly. He looked down at her with soft, caring eyes that looked hurt by her 'betrayal'. It was a truly award winning performance. He leaned in slowly, his lips brushing hers before he kissed her. She began to tremble again as he held her to him, though she did not pull away.

He broke the kiss first, resting his forehead on hers, his eyes closed. "I have grown very fond of you Rehn, making what you did even more painful." his voice was heavy. "I love you, Rehn. Please, I beg you, accept the Emperor's offer. Accept your destiny, so that you may be treated like the princess you are. You have the potential to be so much more than the cannon fodder the Rebellion has used you for, my love." Rehn was silent for a long moment. She had nothing left. No defiance, no will to resist, no hope of escape. She was broken.

"Forgive me, my Lord." her head bowed submissively. "What I did was inexcusable." She did not see the sadistic, triumphant smile that flashed across the huge stallion's face. He pulled her head to his chest with his chin.

"You are forgiven, my angel." he replied. "Tomorrow, we will begin again. Today, you will rest."

"Thank you, m'Lord." her voice was small, contrite, and utterly beaten.

*********

"I've got a question for you, old buddy." Kren Draven said, his feet propped up on the _Arcapus'_ control panel, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. 

"Huh?" Barryk asked, his concentration broken. They had just entered hyperspace, and were on the last leg of their route to Cey'lon. It would be another five days until they arrived. Five more days that Drakahn had to break Rehn, if he had not already done so. 

"Not that I doubt our ability to kick ass or anything, but unless you have a bunch of Mon Cal cruisers stuffed in your pocket, how do you plan on getting close to the planet, let alone land on it?" He asked, no sarcasm in his voice, just curiosity. "Last I heard the Empire had two Vics and an Imp Star D patrolling the system" 

Barryk's face was a study in desolation, as though he were giving up hope, his eyes staring blankly as though looking at something far off in the distance. "Rehn has changed Kren, I can feel it. She hasn't been completely turned to the dark side-yet, but I think Drakahn has broken her, and if he has it's only a matter of time before she's so far gone that I cannot help her. If that happens, there is no way I can beat both of them."Kren sat up in his seat and looked at his friend.  


__

"If you're trying to scare me off this mission, it's not working, Gade. You're stuck with me, so live with it. I owe your family more than I can repay in this lifetime." He said, his voice low and serious, his happy go lucky demeanour suddenly replaced by the look that Barryk had only rarely seen. Kren's eyes were cold, the eyes of a trained killer, and one who was very good at his job. Barryk looked into his now frigid eyes and saw only steely resolve.

"Ok, but if you die don't bitch at me, 'cause I'm just going to say 'I told you so'." he said shaking his head. "I talked to Craken before we left Dantooine."

"How long did the Old Man yell at you before you got to speak." Kren asked, his face wincing in sympathy. He could just imagine how steamed Craken had been. Two of his most dependable officers desert, steal equipment and then asks for help on a mission that he had not authorized. It must not have been pretty. Barryk's grimaced at the memory.

"Only ten minutes. The time just seemed to fly right by." he rolled his eyes and waved a hand theatrically "Like being skinned alive with a rusty spoon."

Kren snorted in amusement. "Well, I'm glad he isn't mad then."

"He was even less impressed when I asked for Intel's reports from the Cey'lon sector for the last five months, most of it being in the highly classified category."

"So what's he got for us?" Kren asked, his eyes where closed and he looked as though he were asleep. He knew Craken felt bad about not being able to get the resources together for a rescue, and that he was deeply concerned for one of his brightest 'Brats'.

Barryk flashed a grin that was all teeth "Troop movements, strengths and weapons emplacements, plus access codes and the number of Imp ships in the area.." Kren threw back his head and laughed.

"Well, Hell! We _may_ just survive this."

********

__

The helmet Rehn wore obscured her eyes, making it impossible to see. Her ears flicked back and forth, intent and alert, her nostrils testing the air. She stood in the same exercise yard where her training session with the wooden staff had taken place. She shifted from foot to foot uneasily, her senses acute. She could feel Drakahn's presence to her left as he approached her. Her head came up a little, wary.

"I have a gift for you, my love." He said, his voice was low in her ear and made her jump slightly. She felt the cold metal slide into her hand. She knew what it was even without seeing at it It felt very familiar somehow and found the lightsabre a little large for her hands as she gripped in the traditional two handed style. It was like an old friend, but one that had absent for so long that their name was forgotten. She knew she had held this weapon before, but could not recall when, or to whom it had belonged. She hit the activation switch and the deep violet blade sprang to life.

Drakahn had no fear that she would turn on him. She was beyond that now, her will to resist him completely broken. Her fighting spirit had been dampened somewhat, but he knew she would find it again and put it to use against the rebellion this time, when Vader took over and completed her training. And then she would be _his_. His anticipation was tangible as he pulled a training remote from a pouch on his belt. He thumbed the activation button and the remote came to life, its repulsors whirring as it lifted from his palm and he stepped out of the field of the oncoming battle.

"Concentrate your negative feelings Rehn. _See_ the remote and deflect it's attacks." Drakahn said as he watched her ears flick nervously, listening to the remote as it began to move evasively. She stood at a relaxed ready position, her body slightly turned to offer less of a target, feet spread, one slightly in front of the other for balance. Her toes kneaded the earth under them as she mentally prepared herself. A snarl slowly wrinkled her lips, her ears working. The remote fired a crimson bolt of energy, enough to hurt, but not enough to cause actual physical injury. Rehn side stepped the bolt, her ears locked on the remote. _This will not do.. _Drakahn thought. Rage stepped into the yard and stood a few meters from the door, keeping her distance from him. She had spent the night in one on of the medial ward's bacta tanks, and while not happy about it, she watched silently and did not try to interfere. Reg stood by her side. 

Rehn gave a surprised snort as the world around her became deathly silent, the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. It was as though someone had hit a switch, and shut down all outside audio stimuli. She was jolted painfully back to the business at hand when the remote nailed her in the thigh with a crimson lance of energy. She squealed angrily, a sound reminiscent of a whomprat being skinned alive. The anger at being bested by the little device, especially in front of Drakahn began to swell. Then, as though it were emerging from the depths of a dark room, the remote came into focus until it was as though she were looking right at it. It fired another bolt, and Rehn parried it easily, deflecting it into the ground. They circled each other for a long moment, Gade ready and light on her feet, before the remote fired again, three bolts in rapid succession and from varying heights. Gade snarled, deflecting each bolt. She prepared herself for the next attack just as something she could not explain tugged at her consciousness. She snorted and dove to her left, doing a combat roll and coming back up to her feet in an effortless, graceful move as the second remote fired, the bolt lancing through the empty space her body had just occupied.

Drakahn was impressed. He had not expected her to be quite _this _effective against two remotes, fighting them for over an hour and only being hit twice. The sun was growing hot, and her exertions had made her golden coat patchy with sweat, and her chest heaved as she breathed. She had done well, and he did not want to overexert her. He called back the remotes and let her hear the world around her again. Her hearing was too accurate and acute and she would naturally rely on it had he not used the Force to interfere. She stood, in an aggressive ready position, the handle of her sabre held horizontally near the right side of her face. Her breath left her nostrils noisily as she breathed hard, her blood up. She heard Rage clap before she actually felt her presence draw near, her concentration the remotes had been so intense she only now realized that the Sith was there at all.

"Oh very good. Well done! You're braver than I thought Drakahn, giving her a weapon after that last little incident." Rage said, her eyes narrowed, a nasty smile twisting her dark lips. Rehn bristled at the comment, a jab at her earlier betrayal. She snarled at the slight to both her and Drakahn and pulled off her helmet, throwing it to the ground as she turned to face Rage. She drew herself to her full height, which was not nearly as tall as she felt at the moment, and spitted Rage with her deathly cold, mismatched eyes. Her neck arched, giving her the appearance of a snake ready to strike. She drew a deep breath and screamed her challenge in her native language, her ears flattened so tightly to her head it looked as though they had been removed. She snorted arrogantly, shaking her head in aggression and showing her teeth, her eyes fierce and her foot gouged the ground in an exaggerated motion, her sabre ready. Drakahn could see what was going to happen and stepped in front of Rehn protectively, his back to her, his huge body separating her and Rage. 


	24. Legacy

Rage looked at Drakahn and while he could see that she wasn't completely healed from their 'discussion' of the other night, was certain she could still easily beat Rehn into a mass of bleeding flesh. It was what Rage did best. She killed Jedi, both dark and light. She laughed into her gloved hand and it obviously caused her pain. "Quite the disrespectful little shrag, isn't she? You better hope she doesn't speak like that to Lord Vader or she'll end up on the wrong end of a lightsabre."

"May I help you, Lady Vader?" The Messenger's tone made it quite apparent he wanted her to leave. His expression was cold and calm, his face impassive.

She looked at his calm expression and contemplated pushing his buttons again, but all she had to do was listen to her own body to realize that wouldn't be the best move. "I have to send the fleet off. It's needed in a near by system, so we'll be putting out more patrols and increasing the garrison's other activities. We'll have two Star Destroyers left in orbit. That's all."

"Fine." He replied dismissively "We're used to less." He started to turn away but she clucked quietly and he stopped, his ears flicking back in her direction irritably. "Yes?"

"Only a suggestion of course but Lady Gade might feel more comfortable in something other than a cell. I'll be at the garrison's officer housing if you need me." She turned and Reg shot a glance at Rehn. The young Thalcein looked healthy enough. Her muscle tone was building from the exercise, but her eyes had a sleepless haunted look. Reg turned as Rage passed him and followed her out.

"He's got her, hook like and sinker. Didn't think he could do it." Reg mused as her squared his shoulders in proper military fashion.

Rage chuckles flexing her newly reconstructed shoulder. "Yeah, and he's willing to hand her over to the Emperor without flinching. He's such a good little pawn."

"Hmmm, I wonder what he'll do when he finds out the Emperor sees her as little more than bait for her brother?"

"I don't know, but I've gotta get ready for him though. Intel hasn't picked up a sniff of Barryk in far too long."

Reg nodded. "You think Fett could of been wrong?"

She snorted. "Yeah, not likely." They entered the garrison and headed towards the officer quarters on the upper most level. It was a beautiful suite kept for a visiting Moff or Admiral, lavishly decorated and comfortable.

"Now what?" he asked, tossing his uniform hat the nearby caf table and easing into a plush form chair.

Rage smiled gestured about the room before flopping in a leather form chair and putting her feet up in the table "We relax!"

Reg rolled his eyes disdainfully. "You mean _you_ relax. Do try to behave yourself?."

She gave him an almost hurt innocent look. "Hey! It's me!"

****

-Kelly Black-


	25. Legacy

Drakahn stood leaning on the rail of the balcony of his lavish quarters as the sun broke over the horizon, turning the sky a brilliant red-purple and he looked up at the Rehnenilia star for which Gade had been named. It was the only star in the sector that was still visible after dawn. It had been named for the legendary female Jedi warrior Rehnenilia Tulavin, the last _Cefoltek_, born in the early days of the Old Republic. She had lead a great army of Jedi against the Sith when they had invaded and occupied Cey'lon. It was written that the day she had been killed in battle, betrayed by her most trusted aid later found to be a double agent planted by the Lakeeta Clan, a bright star had appeared that morning over the battlefield.. a star that never before been recorded. Her disheartened and beleaguered troops said that they had felt her presence among them and that it had helped them turn the tide. Despite heavy loses, the Jedi destroyed the remnants of the Sith occupational force even though they had been vastly outnumbered. They named the star after their fallen leader, and it had watched over the Thalcein and Cey'lon from that day on. _Until the Emperor took power _he mused. 

Drakahn had not gained favour with the Emperor by being stupid. He knew that the _discussion_ he'd had with Rage two days earlier had been meant to test his loyalty. The Emperor was not a trusting man. No one with that much power was, so Drakahn was not insulted. He was completely loyal to the Emperor first, then Vader and he would kill Rehn if he were commanded to. He hoped he_ wouldn't _have to as he had grown quite fond of her. It wasn't love- Drakahn could say with certainty that he was devoid of the emotion, but he could tell that she was now bonding to him as well. She was his for the taking. The thought brought a smile to his face. 

__

He'd received a reply to his last status report, telling him Vader was coming to 'take possession of the prisoner for further training and evaluation', and he prayed Vader would show a little patience with her. She was powerful and talented, but young and highly strung, needing a firm hand to guide her. Drakahn knew that if she showed Vader even an iota of the disrespect she had earlier shown him, Rehn would not live long enough to regret it. Drakahn wished he could complete her training, but knew for her to survive in the Empire's service she had to be loyal to Palpatine, and not him. Her bond with him already made him uneasy. If it appeared that her training was benefiting his designs more than the Emperor's he could be in trouble. He would talk to Rehn and make her understand this. 

A familiar, faint stirring in the Force drew him out of his reverie. _Barryk. _Drakahn's smile became all teeth. He was not without his resources, and he had gotten word that Barryk, normally loyal to a fault, had broken with the rebellion and was now travelling with an unknown partner and headed for Cey'lon to rescue his sister. At one time, he and Barryk had been good friends, while Drakahn had been a deep plant aboard Seph Gade's flag ship the _Morning Star. _It had been Drakahn who had given the Empire the co-ordinates of the _Star _and it's battle group. It had been he who had sabotaged the ship, crippling it's defences and engines so that it had been a simple matter for Vader's fleet to capture it. It had been he who had lured Seph, his mate Cyel their daughter Rehn to the hangar deck with the hope of using a shuttle to escape after the ship had been boarded. It had been he who had killed Cyel as Rehn looked on, restrained by stormtroopers and almost to terrified to move. He would never forget the look Barryk had given him when he had come blasting into the hangar to try to help his family. He had looked Drakahn in the eye with his cold grey ones and Drakahn had actually felt a twinge of feared. Barryk, incensed at Drakahn's betrayal, had attacked him, but Drakahn had been too strong and younger Jedi had been forced to break off the battle to save Rehn and escape. "We will finish what was started, Barryk." Drakahn said aloud to himself "And this time, you will not escape."

**********

Rehn inhaled deeply, smelling the cool, sweet afternoon air. The forest clearing was dominated by a small but spectacular waterfall and the roar of the water filled her ears. She was coming to enjoy the new freedoms she was being given, including having been moved to a lavish suite in Drakahn's fortress, right across from the dark Jedi's own quarters. She was no longer under guard, though she was still extremely wary of stormtroopers, acting as though severely allergic to white armour, which is why Drakahn had brought her here. He put his huge arms around her in a gentle embrace, drawing her to him and he rested his chin between her ears. She tensed uneasily. There had not been much physical contact between them since the night she'd attacked him, and the pain of the beating he'd given her was still fresh in her mind. She feared him, but she also cared for him, and the two emotions warred with each other. Drakahn had been kind and affectionate with her after he had 'forgiven' her, confusing her even more. The Messenger had brought her here, away from the walls and troops of the fortress, and all she could do was wonder what other reason he'd had for bringing her here. She pushed the thoughts aside, feeling ungrateful. 

Drakahn smiled as he felt Rehn finally let go of the last of her suspicions, finally coming to accept her fate completely, her will to fight him now completely crushed. Gade leaned back against him, reaching up to nuzzle his throat and jaw as though in need of reassurance. He smiled and rubbed his face against her cheek and felt her reach out with her slowly growing power, using it to gage his mood. Rehn turned in his arms and looked at him, troubled.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Drakahn smiled slightly and used a finger to move her long black forelock out of her eyes.

"Your time as my student is nearing it's end, my love. You're powers are growing, and my Master has ordered that Lord Vader take over your training." He wanted her to understand that it was not his idea. Rehn's expression turned from questioning to almost terror-struck and her heart hammered in her chest. He reached down and stroked her cheek, trying to calm her. "You must not displease Lord Vader, Rehn. He will not be as forgiving as I have been. He will tolerate no disrespect or defiance. Fear and respect him as you would the Emperor, for he has much to teach you."

"Why can't you finish my training?" she sounded deeply afraid and almost clung to him. Drakahn held her shoulders and looked down at her sternly.

"This is why, Rehn." he replied "Your loyalty must be to the Empire, not just to me. If Lord Vader believes that your loyalty is to me alone, we will both be in jeopardy." He did some mental gymnastics and weighed the risk of tell her what the future would bring should she embrace the dark side and complete her training. Her self esteem and self worth had taken a severe beating, as had her body, and he decided to push her a little. His posture and tone turned more aggressive and dominant. 

Rehn wanted to shrink away from his hard emerald eyes as his hands gripped her arms almost painfully. She lowered her head submissively and nodded. He suppressed a smile at her reaction to his change in behaviour. His demeanour softened somewhat as she reacted in exactly the manner he wanted, and he put his arms around her once more. "We will be reunited after your training is complete." He could feel her rising apprehension and pulled her with him as he sat in the tall grass. She did not meet his eyes and he reached out, pulling her chin up. He leaned in, kissing her deeply and while not forceful, it turned demanding when she was slow to reciprocated. The uncertain filly finally closed her eyes as he lowered her onto her back. The grass was still cool and moist from the morning dew, and it was provided a pleasant contrast to humidity in the air. He looked down at her and she did not meet his eyes.

"I know you're afraid my love. Be mindful of what I have taught you. Lord Vader is hard man, but he has much to teach you so that you can serve the Empire." His big hand stroked her belly and he felt the hard muscles under the fabric of her shirt ripple. He leaned closer to her, his lips traced her cheek before sliding to her ear. "Your heart belongs to me, but your loyalty _must_ be to the Emperor." His voice dropped to a seductive purr and his hot breath on her year made her tremble, though it wasn't in fear. "And when we are reunited, I will treat you like the princess you are." He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him. 

"But how can we serve the same regime that nearly caused our race's extinction?" the question slipped out before she could stop in, her voice low and almost timid. Drakahn pulled back, his eyes narrowing. He released her and got to his feet, looking down at her balefully.

"The Empire should be commended for doing it. The viral agent released on our people only weeded out the weak and inferior. The lower class were producing inferior offspring. It is by Adune's own law that the only the strong should survive." his voice turned hard "Only the those who survived are worthy to continue their bloodline. Do you not understand this simple concept?" Rehn could feel his anger and her gut turned cold in fear. 

"Yes, m'Lord. I understand." she replied quickly, trying placate him. She feared his anger and the punishment it would bring. The answer did not satisfy him.

"You've spent too much time among the mewling hordes of the rebellion, child." His tone was disdainful, and more than just irritated. "Your time in the rebellion has made you soft. You had better learn to be strong quickly, or you will find your time with Lord Vader _unpleasant_." His voice was taking on a nasty tone and he stood over her, his shadow blocking out the sun and leaving her in a pool of cold darkness. Rehn got to her feet slowly, not looking him in the eye. She approached him cautiously and reached up, nuzzling his chin, wordlessly asking for forgiveness and to show him she knew her place. He gave a disgusted snort and turned away, though smiled when his back was turned. She would work hard to gain his favour again, and be more aggressive in her training. _Females are so easy to manipulate emotionally_ he thought _this is almost too easy._

*********

Barryk and Kren sat at the holo projector and felt that what they were seeing was almost too good to be true. Brecono's Comet would pass through the Cey'lon sector the day after they were scheduled to arrive on the outskirts of the system. An was an enormous chunk of frozen nitrogen, iron, iridium and rock, it passed thought the sector once every twenty years, trailing a tail millions of kilometres long composed of gases, dust and 'particles' the size of a small ship. All the debris it trailed cause havoc with system communications sometimes creating complete com blackouts between fleets for hours on end.

"We hitch a ride on the tail of that bad boy," Kren said, pointing at the image of the comet "and when it passes by the planet, we break off and make for Cey'lon at full throttle. The friction from the atmosphere will light us up like a candle and hopefully, the _Arcapus _look like just another piece of space junk burning up in the atmosphere. "

"The _Arcapus_ **_is_** a piece of space junk." Barryk snorted and Kren gave him a mock threatening look before he looked around him apologetically.

"Don't worry baby, he didn't mean it, he's just a little cranky this morning." Kren said lovingly, patting a nearby bulkhead as though he were reassuring the ship. 

"_Anyway..." _Barry continued "I don't think this piece of.." Kren held up a finger threateningly "..antiquated _but strikingly lovely _equipment can take the kind of punishment you're talking about. We're going to get pulverized in the tail of that comet." Kren smiled conspiratorially and Barryk looked at him questioningly.

"Don't worry about the ship." Draven said with a sly grin "This baby is packin' military grade shields, armour and power, that's why the hyperdrive blew. They had just finished upgrading when I borrowed her.. The systems hadn't been calibrated yet." he gestured about him at the beat up and grimy interior "You don' t think I chose her just because of her stylish good looks do you? Besides.. You can do the voodoo that you do so well and fly us through it." Barryk nodded. It would take all his skill and concentration with his recently renewed connection with the Force to keep them from becoming space debris. "Once we get through the atmosphere, we can use the mountain terrain to mask our signal, and we'll run on necessary power only. The Carthpak mountain range is just west of the garrison, maybe a hundred klicks. With all the flight training we both did there when we were in Basic, we know those mountains like the back of our hands." the topographical map of the planet moved, showing the terrain in question. "You go after Rehn, I'll keep the garrison busy." He made it sound so simple. He wasn't stupid and he knew the odds they faced, but he had faith in Barryk and confidence in his own formidable abilities as an infiltrator and commando. Two more day until arrival.. normally not considered a long increment of time, but every minute was starting to work against them. Another 2 days for Rehn's hatred and fear to be twisted to Drakahn's dark designs, if she wasn't already too far gone.

**********

Barryk sat at the holotable, the lounge light turned down for the ship's 'night' cycle. Kren had gone to his cabin to get some much needed rest, leaving Barryk alone to meditate. Gade reached into the pocket of his fatigue pants, and palmed the small holo image keeper, setting it on the table and looking at it for a long moment before touching the activation switch. A small, detailed 3D image sprang to life and he sat back on the couch, looking at it in silence. It showed a smiling Seph Gade in Jedi robes, his arms around his regal looking mate Cyel. A teenage Barryk stood in front of his parents with the slightly younger Kren standing at his left side. The image had been taken shortly after Kren's adoption, and the pain off loss was still visible in the colt's eyes, perfectly preserved in the twenty year old holo. Kren's offbeat sense of humour had been his way of coping with trauma that resulted in the loss of both his biological family and his adopted one. Barryk looked at the record disk and used the Force to shut it off, putting it back in his pocket. When he got Rehn back, he would try to make things right between them. She was the only family he had left besides Kren, and her future was tied to that of their people. If she were to be lost… Barryk's jaw set and he wiped a hand over his eyes and calmed his thoughts, using a Jedi breathing exercise his father had taught him, and the Force began to flow more easily as he opened himself to it. 

He could feel Rehn's strong presence though he stayed well away from it. Gade could sense the feelings of betrayal she held against him for what he had done, though thankfully Drakahn had not yet been able to twist it into hatred… yet. Her fear of the dark Jedi was still very much evident, but there was something else there as well, and when Barryk realised what it was he felt sick. She cared for Drakahn. No.. more than that. She _loved_ him... loved the one responsible for her misery. The young stallion's teeth ground, but he kept his anger and hate for his enemy at bay. Drakahn El'Tarktaht would pay dearly for what he had done to the Gade family, and the Thalcein people. The final meeting between Barryk and Drakahn was not going to be a case of seeking revenge, It was a quest for justice. but semantics aside, what in reality, was the difference? Was semantics all that separated the dark from the light? Barryk fervently hoped not. He stood and rubbed his tired eyes, walking down the companionway to his small quarters. _Hold on just a little longer, Rehn… please…_


	26. Legacy

Rage went down on one knee, her eyes staring at the shiny dark floor of the hangar and she welcomed the familiar sense of his presence in the force. Embracing it like a child would embrace her father after a long time apart. The ramp of the shuttle struck the floor with a loud thud and the hydraulics hissed. Her head stayed bent as the sound of mechanical even breathing filled the hangar as did the clicking of boots descending the ramp. 

"Lady Vader." As he addressed her in greeting she rose and looked up as the Sith Lord, Darth Vader, stepped from the shuttle. His dark form shimmered in the overhead lights cast little shadow. He _was_ a shadow. Even to those who could not touch the Force his power was breath taking and frightening. It was night and even the far off nocturnal animals seemed to silence at his presence as the red clad Imperial guards stood perfectly in position, only their height and build holding any comparison to the Sith Lord's. The guards turn smartly and escorted the Lord out of the hangar bay before breaking off, ever so much more mindful after Rage's little lesson.

"M'Lord. Rehn Gade has been broken and Drakahn remains completely loyal. She is ready for your instruction."

The two Sith walked side by side, both attired in the armour of the Sithian Royal House of Vader. The only difference being the breathing control panel on the front of Lord Vader's. They were imposing figures as they stepped up the hall, their boots ringing out in perfect rhythm. Officers and enlisted men fell back from their path.

"How powerful is she?'

Rage considered the question. "She has potential but she has yet to give herself to the dark side. Without any commitment it is hard to say. She's struggling with repressed memories that Drakahn is reluctant to deal with. He believes that if he break the barrier he will lose her to her anger."

"Most interesting."

They walked down a stair case of black marble and head towards a turbo lift. The lift would ascend up to where Drakahn was trying to calm Rehn, telling her again and again that they would be reunited after she has finished her training. All she has to do is get through it.

Rehn watched, eyes wide in fear as the doors to the lift slide opened, revealing the Sith Lord. An overhead light reflected off his skull-like helmet with a terrifying gleam that made is seem like the being in the armour was reflecting the light, not allowing it to touch him and giving him an evil aura. This same presence crept into her mind as he stepped towards her. The shadows within the room embraced him, seeking his form out and pulling at him, not wanting him to step through them and to the open balcony where she stood.

Rage stepped out behind him, carefully trained at his heel. Her demeanour obedient and submissive. Drakahn had heard that Rage held Vader over even Palpatine, but hadn't really believed it until now. This was her master and she was comfortable and content with that fact. Vader's cold heavy breathing filled the two Thalcein's senses and Drakahn went down on one knee in deference to the Sith.

"M'Lord, this is my charge, Rehn Gade."

With a motion of his hand Drakahn was signalled to rise and then the Sith Lord's heavy gaze settled on the young Thalcein. "Rehn Gade...it is time to meet your destiny."

The mental assault was like nothing she had yet experienced. He pushed forcefully into her mind, violating her and ripping through the protective barrier that had levelled both Rage and Drakahn. He simply reached in and assessed how powerful she was and nothing more. He pulled back and the Force seemed to buzz around him, eager to do his bidding. "You are still quite defiant." He stepped menacingly closer and looked down at her balefully, his voice low and menacing "Your feelings for the Emperor's Messenger are strong, but Drakahn is not your master. _I_ am."

****

-Kelly Black-


	27. Legacy

Drakahn shot a sidelong glance at Gade. The force backlash from the mind probe, like a freezing razor edged wave of power that threatened to completely numb his body, made him grit his teeth, while Rage standing in Vader's shadow appeared to be shielded. Rehn's ears flattened, her eyes squeezing shut and her body gave a violent shudder. She wanted to lash out in retaliation for the assault, to show Vader she was not afraid of him- it was a lie of course, as it was all she could do to keep from visibly trembling. Her teeth were clenched so tightly that her jaw hurt as she looked up at the Sith Lord. Like a thick black oil, she felt the hate begin to boil inside her. She wanted to show her defiance, to look him in the eye and challenge him with her gaze. If she could she would have locked her jaws around his throat and choked the life out of him. She did not know from where her hatred originated, but it was deep. Only one thing stopped her from making the certainly suicidal lunge. Fear. Fear for what Drakahn would do to her, fear for what Vader would do, and fear that the Messenger would be disappointed with her. Even though her eyes and heart burned naturally in defiance and hate, Rehn lowered her head to the Dark Lord, signalling her submission. There was no point in fighting any more. She'd lost Gellan, an event she still blamed herself for, and no one was coming for her. Only Drakahn cared about her and what happened to her. 

Vader remarked to himself how much Rehn reminded him of her father. Even when faced with defeat, humiliation and certain death, Seph Gade's defiance had been a tangible thing. He could feel her intense hate through the Force, as well as the bond she had with Drakahn. He knew that her gesture of submission was not so much for his benefit as much as it was to please Drakahn, and the thought rankled. He had also felt the Force backlash that had resulted from his violation of her mind, but he had been able to block it. _Barryk did an impressive job _he thought _he's more of a threat than I first thought. But that matter will be settled shortly. _

"When I leave tomorrow, you will accompany me. You have much to learn." Vader said in his emotionless, filtered baritone, turning to leave. 

"My Lord, " Rehn's voice small yet powerful despite her fear.Drakahn felt his gut constrict as she spoke and saw Vader stop. He thought even the Dark Lord was surprised that she had the courage to speak to him. Vader turned slowly as Rage took a step to the side, looking suddenly uncomfortable with the situation. Rehn looked into Vader's hidden eyes with a fearful but determined expression. "I do not wish to leave Drakahn." now it was Drakahn's turn to look uncomfortable. If Lord Vader thought that he had somehow poisoned her mind against him, he was in serious trouble.

"What _you_ want is of no consequence." Vader's voice was low and deadly. He could feel her fear as he approached her, and she averted her eyes and looked at the floor, regretting her words immediately. She steeled herself against her terror, shoving it down deep into the pit of her gut. She knew if she showed to much defiance, and she angered him sufficiently, he would kill her. If she showed a lack of spirit or courage, he would think her weak and kill her. Rehn had to placate him, and do it quickly. 

"I know, Lord Vader. I accept my fate." she said quickly, accepting that she had no control over the matter and lowering her head again submissively. He stood over her, eclipsing the room's lights and leaving her in a frigid shadow. Drakahn remained silent, knowing if he said anything he would only compound the problem, so he stood aloof. If Vader chose to kill her, he would not intervene. "Forgive me, my Lord. I meant you no disrespect." She did not whine or grovel, but the apology was genuine. She was a warrior, she did not beg. Vader was mildly impressed, though by no means appease. He admired her courage and her loyalty, even if it was misplaced. Gade still held a deep hatred for the Empire, and if allowed to grow into her power, would become a threat. 

Rehn felt the cartilage in her throat begin to constrict painfully. She gritted her teeth against the pain, but did not gag or claw at her throat the way his officers usually did. If she was to die, she wanted to die like a warrior, not a whimpering child.

"You are not worthy of further training." Vader growled, tightening his Force choke hold. Her nostrils flared and her eyes squeezed shut in pain and she dropped to her knees. "Your lack of discipline will be your undoing, as will your defiance. The Emperor does not tolerate impudence, and neither do _I_." She fell to her hands and knees, her lungs burning for oxygen, before she finally fell to the floor and lost consciousness.

*********

"I am _not _happy Drakahn." Vader's back was to Drakahn as the Dark Lord of the Sith looked out over the balcony.

"I did not know her bond with me would be quite so strong, my Lord." Drakahn 's voice was devoid of emotion though he was lying through his teeth. He had to salvage as much of his plan as he could now, as it was apparent the only way of keeping his prize alive would be to have her mind wiped.

"Your feelings for her have made you soft." Vader said with more than a hint of disgust and looking over his shoulder slightly. "I know that the Emperor has given her to you. Were you afraid your prize may be damaged if she was broken in a more forceful way?" Drakahn raised his head at the slight. Vader was suggesting the his personal ambitions where getting in the way of his work. Too much ambition was frowned upon by both Vader and the Emperor. 

"I have been soft on her, my Lord." Drakahn admitted truthfully. "I believed using too much force would only intensify her hatred of the Empire, making her useless to the Emperor's cause. Gade's will to resist me is broken and her loyalty to the rebel cause is waning."


	28. Legacy

Vader did not speak, only stood and looked at him steadily and Drakahn was forced to look away. "So you do not admit that you have feelings for her." There was no question in his voice.

Drakahn stood silent, wishing he could fall back into the shadows, to hide from the hard glare of the monster in front of him - a monster that was a thought away from taking his life and ending his line. "Yes, M'Lord. I do have feelings for her. It has been a long time since I have been around my own species. After you released the virus" he didn't get to finish.

"Enough" Vader snarled. " I have no time for your excuses." The Sith Lord turned towards the door and stepped over Rehn's body. "The child is useless. Break her and do with her as you will, but she must not develop into a full Jedi." Vader stuck a leather gloved finger in Drakahn's face. "Wipe her mind and be done with it." With that he strode out of the room to the turbo lift that shut it's doors and concealed his dark image. Drakahn, let out a long breath he had been holding. He finally turned back to Rehn's form on the floor and saw Rage kneeling down next to her. The Sith woman's hand ran over the young Thalcein's neck. 

"She's going to be hurting when she wakes up, more from that mental attack than anything. You should be here to comfort her." Rage got up and stepped towards the lift.

"Where are you going?" Drakahn asked suspiciously.

"To stick a boot in my mouth." The young Sith woman replied, stepped into the lift and hitting the button for the hangar. It felt like an eternity until the doors opened she trotted up to where Vader was giving some rather strict advice to one of his Lord's Guards. "M'Lord, why not allow her to be trained under Drakahn?"

Vader ignored her until he had dismissed the guard. "Drakahn, is an enforcer. Why would an enforcer need a student?"

Rage's mental image closed its eyes and stepped off a cliff. "You have one." It suddenly got a lot colder in the hangar. Vader considered himself more than just an enforcer and didn't appreciate people pointing out the contrary.

"You are different. you were a prize taken from an enemy of the Empire. It was only convenient that you were easily manipulated." Vader's voice was low and it was obvious he considered the matter of Gade's training finished. Rage clenched her jaw and it made a cracking noise.

"And Rehn isn't a prize? She was taken because of Seph Gade, her father. She would have been dealt with before if you and Drakahn hadn't failed to take her when she was younger. Otherwise me and her could of been playmates growing up." Rage crossed her arms and looked up at him. The two Sith stood toe to toe and everyone in the area made sure they had other places to be.

Lord Vader stared down at her, his breathing picking up pace slightly. "Her heart is too defiant. If not for the fact she has bonded with the Messenger, I doubt she would have been broken at all."

Rage lifted an eyebrow "But she's learned much. If she is shown a little patience, she will bend to your will."

"I do not have the time to be patient with her. If she is not receptive to training, she will never be any use to me or the Empire. She is useless. If the Emperor hadn't given her to Drakahn I would have destroyed her." He put his hands on the front of his belt and Rage slid her fists to her hips. 

Rage leaned towards him "Of course you would have! That is your answer for everything! If it appears to be a threat stomp on it and then wipe it off the bottom of your boot. The easy way out, _as always_." She snapped angrily.

Vader took a step forward. Looming over his adopted daughter. "I'm warning you Rage, if you do not desist I will be forced to once again remind you who your master is."

Rage flinched. "Fine. You don't really think Drakahn will be able to follow your orders, do you? No matter how badly he wants to."

Vader finally turned from her. "That does not matter. You will wait here for Barryk. After he has arrives you will kill him and then report back to Imperial Central." He walked away and Rage watched, not moving, her temper still seething. It wouldn't be until she had blown up at one of the officers and gutted him that she would realize the kind of danger she had been in, not that it wasn't something she hadn't faced before. She turned sharply on her heels and stormed of into the compound swearing under her breath in Sith.

****

-Kelly Black-


	29. Legacy

Cyel let out a high, warbling call to her youngest child, telling her to be strong, that she would be coming to help. Rehn squealed angrily, lashing out at the stormtroopers and it took three of them to finally force her to her knees before they tried to get the restraints on her. Cyel dodged Drakahn's emerald blade nimbly, her golden coat reflecting her sabre's violet blade. Drakahn snarled and slashed at her legs with his spur, trying to knock her down. She felt a sudden flash of agony through the Force and heard her daughter scream. The sudden jolt of deep and empty desolation filled her as she looked to where her mater Seph had been fighting Vader. He was now on his hands and knees on the hangar deck, and he was dying. Her concentration broken and desperate to help her mate, Drakahn's lashed out with a massive foot, knocking the gold and white mare off balance as she tried to dodge Drakahn's downward strike. His sabre thrust propelled the blade through the base of her long neck and out between her shoulder blades. Cyel fell to the deck not ten feet from Rehn, her mother's clear blue eyes open and staring into hers as Vader's blade came down over her father's outstretched neck, the blow taking Seph's head off at the shoulders. 

Rehn screamed in grief and felt something dark well up inside her, something she had never felt before. It was dark and whispered to her, telling her to take control of the anger and fear within her and make the people who had killed her parents pay. She latched onto the power, knowing it was wrong but not knowing what else to do. Eyes squeezed shut, she jerked her hands free from the troopers' grasp and threw them into the air and made a wild throwing gesture. The three troopers trying to put binders on her were picked up off the deck as though by an invisible hand and thrown screaming through the hangar's atmosphere containment field - out into the vacuum of space. She vaguely heard Barryk's battle cry and heard his lightsabre slashing through the hangar bay doors. Rehn opened her eyes to find herself in the shadow of a massive, cloaked shape and Drakahn's emerald eyes betrayed his surprise as he looked down at her, but an evil smile twisted his hansom face. 

Rehn awoke with a ragged, hoarse scream, her eyes wide and grief stricken. She sat blot upright in bed, her chest heaving as she struggled to breath through her bruised throat. She felt hollow, the same feeling that Gellan's loss had caused, only deeper and more emotionally painful.

"Easy, my love." His voice was soothing, almost kind. Rehn's head ached fiercely and her throat was raw and painful. As Drakahn's giant arms slid around her, holding her tight she dry heaved, her body convulsing slightly. The stallion nuzzled her neck and it was all Rehn could do not to let her skin crawl. 

This dream was different this time. This time she remembered. Everything. The Messenger's presence in the Force only enhanced the memories making them even more painfully clear. Drakahn ran his hand along her neck gently, trying to calm her, resting his head on hers, and it took ever ounce of control she had to bury her feelings deep. Her parents had die trying to protect her from this monster, and it was only Barryk's heroic rescue that day that had gotten her off the _Morning Star. _Gade choked back on her hate and fear, but only with supreme effort and let Drakahn hold her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. _That's it you bastard, keep thinking you're safe. It'll make the moment I kill you more enjoyable._

*********

The_ Arcapus _rocketed toward the planet, trailing a tail of flame that began at the ship's nose and ended a ten kilometres behind it. The twilight sky was alight with similar flaming debris, so the battered ship did not stand out as unusual. Gade and Draven had ridden the tail of the comet through the system, avoiding detection by the two Victory - Class Star Destroyers on station in the system. Barryk had taken over the piloting duties during the manoeuvre, relaxing deep into the Force and using it to guide him through the mass of debris that followed in the comet's wake. Kren was now at the controls, as Barryk was certain Drakahn would detect him if he stayed deeply attuned to the Force any longer than necessary. 

Terra Firma was beginning to loom large in the facetted transparisteel canopy, and Barryk's knuckles where white under his fur as his hands constricted around the armrests of the co-pilot's seat. Kren looked sidelong at his friend and smiled. "What's the matter Barryk? Re-entries make you nervous?"

"No." Barryk said, flicking an ear back in annoyance "_You _make me nervous." Kren laughed, letting out an enthusiastic whoop as he pulled the nose of the freighter up, 300 meters from the ground.

"Hang on Barryk, this flight is gonna suck, and there's no in-flight holo." They had entered the planet's atmosphere above the northern pole, where most of the meteors were falling. Kren made all speed, at treetop level, for the Carthpak mountain chain that ran north to south down the western side of the largest continent. Kren became strangely silent, and Barryk looked over at his friend.

"Can you feel her?" Draven asked, concerned. Barryk closed his eyes and shivered before nodding. He didn't touch her - he didn't need to. Anger, frustration and hate radiated off his sister like the radiation from a reactor leak. Barryk's eyes opened and turned steely. Kren swallowed audibly and his gaze shifted back to the _Arcapus_'s controls, and he rammed the throttles to maximum.


	30. Legacy

Rage made her way down the rock face, her com unit switched and she hummed to herself as she adjusted her night goggles and repelled down. Her foot slipped and she bumped hard into the gutting rock but her humming never faltered. She was happy. She was hunting.

Reg's voice came over the com, interrupting her thoughts but not her humming. "You have a lovely voice Rage, but unless you stick to a tune I know that is annoying as hell." Rage smiled in the inky blackness of the night as she made her way down the sheer side of the rock face.

"Oh, relax. It's an old Sith lullaby." she purred "I'm slowly rotting your brain with the dark side."

"Oh! Perfect!" 

"Hey it's the least painful way of doing it, besides forcing you to sit and watch holo vid for hours on end." Rage replied "But we don't seem to have that kind of time."

Reg laughed. "All right smart ass, I'm picking up that vapour trail you think is a ship. It's one hundred and fifty meters bellow your present position."

"I know, I can see it." Rage twisted her neck to look over her shoulder and below her. "It was one hell of a good idea, coming down in the meteor shower, too bad they slipped the brakes too early."

"Rage they had to. That or smack into one of those glorious mountains you're currently sliding down." Reg's voice sounded strangely disembodied over the com.

"Sliding is right. Remind me to have a talk with the chap that dropped me off. I almost went over the cliff because he caught an updraft as I jumped out." she seemed to reconsider her words "Actually I _did_ go over the cliff, thank the force for fast reflexes. Is the ship powered down?"

"Well if it is a ship yes, it seems to be power down. If it's a large chunk of rock like my instruments say, it's finally cooled off."

"Alert the task force at the garrison. Have Gade and his friend wade through a couple of stormtrooper platoons before they meet up with our specialists. I'm gonna need time to get back."

"And what if they're killed?"

"Then they aren't the people we want and we reset the trap for the Jedi Knight when he gets here. Okay, I'm off the rock face." Rage's feet touched the rocky ground "I'm gonna shut down the com until after I've finished with the bug, you're terribly distracting."

"Why thank you!" Reg's voice replied merrily "I would just like to..." Rage shut down the come before he could finish.

Rage adjusted her nightvision goggles and pulled her blaster. If she was caught she'd have to conceal her identity, that meant keeper her lightsabre out of view. She edged along, humming the same tune again. The Sith sidled the ship cautiously, using it to mask her form and touched the Force lightly. No one aboard. Stang, they were moving fast. She moved her gloved hand over the hull and found the perfect spot for the tracking device - the interior landing claw well. The tracer was an assurance policy in case Vader's full proof plan fell through. If it was Barryk and he managed to elude her, she would be able to at least have a way to salvage this costly little operation. For one, she trusted Rehn as about as far as she could throw her without the Force and if she turned on Drakahn she'd have one Jedi - Barryk , one partial Jedi with a strong connection to the dark side - Rehn, and the operator Barryk had with him to fight. Not good odds, even for a dashing sexy killing machine like herself.

Rage activated the passive tracer she had bought off of Fett and it sunk it's tiny legs into the hull plating. She was temped to look inside but refrained for fear of wasting more time, and melted into the darkness at a stiff trot, mindful of they way the intruders has gone. She was forced to cut through deep swamp before she could call for a pick up, but everything was still quiet when the Sith reached the garrison. Rage walked purposefully through the command centre doors and found Reg waiting for her.

"Are the troops ready?" she enquired, though the Force help them if they weren't. The Emperor wanted Barryk Gade's head on a platter, literally.

"Yes, Grand Admiral." He responded with a confident nod. Ready to be slaughtered, if it really was the Jedi. 

"Good, I'll be with the hunters." She spun on her heels and stalked out of the ward room, letting her mind open slightly more to the Force. Once Barryk was dealt with, Rehn would be next, and she would either be receptive to a mind wipe, or would join her brother in the Emperor's trophy room.

****

-Kelly Black-


	31. Legacy

               Kren was hunched over the speederbike, coaxing as much velocity as he could from it, and while the noise dampers on the small vehicle rendered it almost completely silent, they drew a lot of power in exchange.  This was going to be a one-way ride – if he survived, it was going to be a long walk back to the ship.  

He was dress head to foot in matte-black, light absorbing armour, his eyes hidden behind his helmet's IR/NV visor.  Impossible missions like this was what Kren Draven lived for - as a member of the rebellion's infiltrator elite Team Six, he specialized in 'guerrilla warfare', the Alliance term for what the Empire called 'Terrorist Activities'.  Kren did not fancy himself a terrorist – he had never once killed a civilian, or someone who hadn't greatly deserved to die.  He had never razed entire villages, shot unarmed civilians or unleashed a plague that had brought a species to the brink of extinction.  In his mind, Kren was a warrior, not a murdered.

               The terrain whipped by as he dodged trees and rock outcroppings, his visor making the blackness around him clear as day. The web gear around his shoulders and waist was heavy, but nothing he wasn't used to.  Containing explosives, slice wire, extra power mags and a spare blaster in a shoulder holster -  a low-tech arsenal, but brutally efficient in the hands of someone trained to use it properly.  Pragmatically, he had forgone the bulky med kit he would have carried on a regular, _sanctioned mission.  If he were wounded seriously enough to need a med kit, he would be too hurt to get back to the ship, and he'd be screwed anyway.  Kren knew he was expendable.  He knew it and accepted it.  His only job was to keep the garrison busy enough to give Barryk and Rehn time to escape… or to give Barryk time to destroy her if she was 'too far gone' to save, as Gade had put it.  The thought made him shudder._

The weight of the huge 14inch combat vibro strapped to his right leg was reassuring as was that of the blaster that was strapped cross-draw on his left hip.  Luckily, Cey'lon was backwater enough that codes were not as frequently changed as they were nearer the core and the com traffic came over his helmet's receivers was easily cracked courtesy of the slices he's hacked from the SpecForce data base before he'd left.   So far, it was just typical trooper chitchat and banter that he only partially paid attention to.  Cracking the Alliance's computers was an offence punishable by court-martial, at the very least when he returned, not that he actually expected to survive this.  He shot a glance at the GSP monitor on the speeder's control panel and decelerated.  It had only taken twenty minutes to get from the ship to the edge of the treeline.  

               He stopped the speeder and dismounted, taking off his pack and pulling a length of camouflage netting from it, tossing it over the speeder bike.  He stood on the verge of the forest, looking towards the lights of the garrison and drew a deep breath, his nose to the wind.  He stood for a long moment, concealed by the shadows cast by the thick canopy above him, almost becoming one with the scenery.  He was in his element, his 'Zone'.  Draven pushed his worry for Barryk and Rehn from his mind, leaving only his intense determination not to fail.  His adrenalin began to flow, making his senses acute and he wondered what the Force felt like.  Barryk had once told him it was like plugging your senses into the power generator of a Star Destroyer.  Kren had not been able to figure out if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.  His concentration during a mission was intense, and he ignored all other stimuli that were not potentially lethal.  To be distracted was to lose your edge.  _To lose the edge is to lose your life he thought as he stepped out of the forest, his toes digging into the hard earth and he began his stealth run on the garrison.  Kren had no intentions of dying tonight, even if the odds were nowhere near favouring him. _

**************

               Barryk crouched in the shoulder high barq grass and could see the lights of the Lakeeta fortress a half kilometre distant.  It had stood for over a thousand years, being remodelled and added to with every new Warlord who came to power.  The city around the fortress, unlike the other clan cities, had been untouched by the garrison, as though waiting for its people to return.  All other cities on the planet, especially the Tay'axia clan's capital, had been was used by the garrison for urban combat training and had suffered as a result.  

Gade move forward cautiously, his senses straining.  He could not risk using the Force, lest Drakahn sense him.  As he place a foot to the ground, something brittle splintered under his hoof and he froze.  The grass crickets stopped chirping for only a moment, and then continued.  Gade closed his eyes in relief when the night sounds continued, and looked down, lifting his foot.  His grey eyes turned terribly sad in realization and he knelt, covering the small, crushed skull with a handful of dirt.  It was not the first skeletal remains of his people he had found since arriving, the bleached bones marking the resting place of those who had not been buried before his species had been forced to flee the planet.  Until this point all the remains had been those of adults, but the fragile skull that had so readily disintegrated beneath his toes had been that of a young foal, less than a year old.  

He could still feel the pain, fear and hate of the senseless deaths had cause through the Force -millions of angry, restless spirits whose bodies had died terrible, agonizing deaths.  Barryk had lost an older brother and most of his friends to the hemorrhagic plague, a disease that had slowly built up in the system until without warning, it caused the victim bleed to death internally by rupturing blood vessels in the lungs and brain. There had been no cure and death was terrifying – victims beginning to convulse uncontrollably and bleed from the mouth, nostrils, ears and eyes.  Only the traitorous Lakeeta, who had secretly collaborated with the Empire had not suffered the horrendous casualties from the virus Vader had unleashed on the planet.  

Barryk shook his head and snorted softly, trying to clear his mind.  The memories flooded back easily, as recollections of pain and loss often do.  Barryk squeeze his eyes shut and desperately search for his center.  Despite his meditation and training during the trip, he felt like an apprentice again.  Gade took a deep breath - if he did not concentrate on what lay before him, he would die, Kren would die and Rehn would be lost.  He closed his eyes and let go of his emotions.  

Barryk pulled the hood of his robes back, freeing his peripheral vision as he moved on.  He had forsaken the Order shortly after tampering with Rehn's memory, the terrible guilt of what he'd done weighing heavily on his conscience.  Barryk quickened his pace, stalking like a ghost through the grass, his thoughts on only one goal.  He would make thing right between him and his sister, and though he had no idea where to start, getting her away from Drakahn and the Empire he served was a good start.__

_                ___


	32. Legacy

Drakahn leaned heavily against the balcony of his quarters, staring into the night sky.  His plans were unravelling faster than he could draw up contingencies, and his time was running short.  His lust for Rehn had blinded him to her still defiant heart, and he knew he had been lucky Vader had not killed them both for wasting his time.  The Messenger ran a hand down his chestnut face and stopped at his chin as he pondered his options, which were indeed limited – He could wipe her mind, or he could destroy her.  Drakahn refused to believe his efforts over the last weeks had been in vain, so it  was time to implement Plan B.  With a mind wipe, Rehn would be a blank slate, vulnerable to his every suggestion and whim, and while he preferred her fiery nature, having her live only to please him and cater to his every urge really did not seem so bad.  He took a deep breath of cool night air, and closed his eyes, drawing the dark side to him. Drakahn straightened his tunic and turned, his black cloak swirling around him as he turned from the balcony.  Tonight, Rehn would meet her destiny.

Rehn sat huddled in a corner of her lavishly decorated room.   She had once seen it as Drakahn's attempt to show her a little kindness, but she now saw it for what it really was - a gilded prison cell.  Tears of shame and frustration welled up in her mismatched eyes, and she buried her face in her arms.  Her head still throbbed, and whatever Vader had done to her had literally burst a damn of terrible memories, which only grew worse if she tried to use the Force to try to drive them away.  Her sire and dam had both died to protect her from this monster and she had played right into his hands.  She felt like a naïve fool, actually believing he had cared for her and knowing she had loved him and had willingly offered herself to him made her sick.  Her eyes squeezed shut as the hate, anger and humiliation she suppressed churned like a raging river inside her.   She let out a deep breath and struggled to find her center, touching the Force gently as her father had taught her, and felt Drakahn draw near.  Their bond through the Force was still sickeningly strong, and Rehn did not dare tamper with it, lest Drakahn figure out she was no longer his eager little student.  

Rehn got to her feet and wiped her red-rimmed eyes, standing tall for the first time in weeks.  She would not bend to his will any longer, she would not be an agent of the Empire, and she would probably not live through the night.  Gade pulled her mother's lightsaber from her belt, wrapping both her black-furred hands around the weapon and bent her head, resting her forehead against the cool metal of the silver hilt.  She felt tainted, both by Drakahn's touch, her own thoughts and the Dark Side.  The filly's dark lips pulled into a grimly determined line, and she wondered if Drakahn would see the irony of his situation when she attacked him with the power he'd help to hone.  She knew it went against her father's teachings, but her control on the light side was less than tenuous.  She would avenge her parents, and use the very lessons the Messenger had taught her to strike him down, or she would die trying.  She put the sabre back on her belt and waited.

Drakahn knocked once and opened the doors to Rehn's suite, closing them behind him.  She stood, her back to him, and in silence.  The big stallion's brow furrowed at her attire – a black tunic and loose trousers, and the fact she did not immediately turn and greet him cause him to hesitate.  He touched her with the dark side, and felt her humiliation, anger and hate.  There was something else there, just out of reach.

"What's wrong, my love?" he asked, approaching no closer.  He watches the almost imperceptible shake of her shoulders as she lowered her head and covered her face with her hands as she sobbed.

"I've failed you, my Lord." she whispered miserable between sobs, trying to draw him in.  "Lord Vader was right.  I will never be a jedi."  Drakahn approached closer, a smile on his face.  With her mind in disarray, and clouded in self-doubt, it would be easy to wipe her mind of ever memory she'd ever hand.

"Perhaps your destiny lies long a different path, little one."  Drakahn tried to sound caring and sincere as he drew the dark side to him, preparing to strike.  Her hate was delicious, and he savoured it like fine wine, but as the Force began to hum around him, the hate he felt was not only for Vader.  He got to within arm's length when the realization hit him – the seething hatred she felt, was for _him.  His eyes widened and he jumped back with surprising agility for a being his size as the telltale snap-hiss of a sabre broke the silence between them.  In a blur Rehn spun, making a sweeping backwards stab that would have gutted him had he not been so quick._

"You deceitful, ungrateful little bitch!" his snarled words came through bared teeth as his weapon pulled from his belt and ignited as the hilt hit his hand.  "After all I've done for you, you dare to turn on me again!" Rehn came at him in a fury, her eyes burning bright in hate, and Drakahn lunged forward, the tip of his sabre sweeping down and then thrusting upwards in a move that would have cleaver her in two from the groin up.  Rehn sensed the strike and danced back out of the blade's bath, circling her opponent, her head low and lips pulled back from her teeth in a display of pure, naked hate.

"All you've done for me?" her angry, frustrated scream was made hoarse by the bruising in her throat from Vader's Force grip.  "Should I thank you for the weeks of beatings, molestations and humiliation?"  her eyes were fixed on him and narrowed, holding a deadly calm that was not in her voice.  "I'll _thank you…" the sarcasm dripped from her voice as she leaped forward, her blade over her head and pointing behind her and then hacking downward as she closed on him, attempting to chop him in two from the head down.  Drakahn stepped into the heavy strike and blocked it high, though he needed both hands to do it.  Her power was surprising, and the air around the two warriors thrummed with the heavy intensity of the dark side._

"Yes…" The huge stallion hissed, looking down at his much smaller opponent. "That's it.  Give into your hatred, Rehn.  Let it consume you." He shoved her away and slashed at her belly, and the smell of singed hair and cloth stung his nostrils.  Gade hissed in pain and backed off out of reach, her hand covering the shallow slash at her belly.  "Whether you die or simply fall to the dark side, the outcome will be the same – the Thalcein will have no choice but to concede to the Empire.  They will either join us or be destroyed by us."  He moved towards her, his sabre at knee level and sweeping upwards.  Gade tried to block, but the power of his move deflected her weapon upward.   Rehn's back hit the wall, and she found herself with his emerald sabre point at her throat.  "You will be my mate, or you will die.  Do not throw your life away because of stubborn pride." 

"You will never touch me again!" her snarl was almost feral and she shied left and slapped upwards with her blade.  The tip and side of his sabre branded the side of her long, graceful neck with an ugly burned line as it deflected, slid along her flesh and embedded itself in the wall.  Gade slashed at him with her spur in a vicious spin-kick as she kept moving, scoring a long, deep cut though his armoured side.  Drakahn gave a pained grunt, but snatched her ankle on the follow-through and tossed her across the room.  Rehn hit the wall with a solid thump and hit the floor, and fell in a heap.

***********

Barryk's gave the last stormtrooper a haircut that began just below his ears and the man twitched as he fell.  He stepped over the bodies-all ten of them- and continued on.  He was homing in on Drakahn; he could feel the darksider, following his presence in the Force like a predator follows a blood trail.  He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, get his baring and check his wound.  His robes were scorched by a lucky blaster shot, but other than a burn down his side, he was otherwise undamaged.  He had mown down what felt like a division of men as he stalked the corridors of Drakahn's fortress, and it was growing apparent he had waded into a trap.  He only hoped Kren was ok.  Barryk staggered suddenly as he felt a flash through the Force, like a strike of lighting and felt the pain as though it were his own. _ Rehn...  She was frightened and in agony, but he could feel her determination and her intense hate, anger and guilt – everything he had tried to shelter her from.  __Don't give in Rehn… I'm coming, hold on!_

*********

Rehn scrambled to her feet as Drakahn closed in with frightening speed.  Blood from his wound trailed from his side and down his leg to leave a trail across the polished stones of the floor.  The wound was obviously not as deep as she had wanted, and was not going to be immediately leathal, but she did take satisfaction out of the fact he was in pain.  Raising his green sabre, he struck downwards, and as Rehn raised her violet blade to block, the power of the blow knocked the weapon from her hand.  The blade deactivated and the hilt skittered across the floor as Drakahn's blade stabbed forward, catching her just above the right breast, exiting through her back and into the polished marble of the wall.  Rehn screamed in agony, but had the presence of mind to lock her knees to keep from falling and making the wound worse.  The young warrior's teeth clenched in pain and she stifled another pain filled cry, not wanting to give the bastard the satisfaction of hearing her scream again.

"You time grows short, young one." Drakahn's voice was cold and menacing.  "Your choices are simple.  You can choose to live as consort, bear my heirs and influence the future of our people, or you can choose to throw your life, as well as the future of our race away."  His face twisted into an evil smirk.  "Choose." 

"I" her voice barely came to her, and she was short of breath but she stared him unflinchingly in the eye "will not be ruled by you or the Empire.  You will never have my body, or my soul."  Rehn suddenly felt a familiar, desperate presence in the Force, and recognized it instantly as her brother.  Completely surprised, she reached out for him and felt him reach back.  Her heart soared and a tear fell down her cheek.  Barryk had _not forsaken her.  He had come for her but she knew it was to late.  __I'm sorry I wasn't stronger… Despite her agony, she stared up at Drakahn fearlessly and waited for the death strike._

_Vader was wrong..  The realization did not really surprise Drakahn, considering the fight she had just given him.  She was more powerful than Vader had thought.  She was a threat, one that had to be eliminated for the good of the Empire. "Very well then." Drakahn felt the elder Gade's presence.  He had been so intent and focused on Rehn he had ignored everything else, and realized his mistake as he felt the younger stallion closing in.  No matter - first he would dispatch the Cefoltek, then her brother, bringing the Gade line to an end – this just saved him the trouble of hunting Barryk down later.  He placed both hands on the weapon's hilt to draw it downward diagonally to cleave her heart when Barryk hit the doors at a dead run.  The heavy wooden structure came apart as though made of glass and Gade pitched forward, almost falling, but used the momentum to do a shoulder roll and come up in a crouch.  Drakahn pulled his blade from Rehn's chest, turning from his terribly wounded foe to face Barryk.  Rehn covered the hole in her chest with her hand and sank weakly to the floor.  He looked Barryk up and down with a sneer. "This is turning into quite a family reunion."_

Barryk's ear flattened and he showed his impressive teeth as Gade issued his challenge in their native language.  His cloak was gone, lost 3 floors down and probably still smouldering from the blaster shots it had taken.  His scorched clothes were flecked with blood, but Drakahn could smell that none of it was his.  

"I knew you'd show your face eventually." Drakahn snorted in complete disdain "You're too late Barryk.  She is tainted by the dark side now and beyond redemption.  Ironic that had it not been for your mental tampering, I could have never brought her along this far."  Drakahn flicked an ear back at Rehn as she struggled to breath and stay lucid.  Barryk made no reply, coming at him as Drakahn brought his sabre down, and the weapons locked with a screaming hiss.  Drakahn grinned maliciously at the younger stallion, his cruel green eyes flashing and his voice going low "She's dying Barryk, can you feel it?  Perhaps I will have her cloned and enjoy her charms all over again." 

               Barryk still said nothing as he struggled to maintain his center.  He wanted desperately to go to her, to hold her and tell her he was sorry, but he had to dispose of Drakahn first, which was going to be no easy task.  Gade's toes gouged at the stone floor his hard, hooved toes leaving furrows in the polished surface.  The dark jedi gave a mighty shove with both his sabre and the Force, propelling Barryk backwards and into the wall opposite Rehn.   Drakahn came at him hard, swinging his blade in a wide, one-handed swath that would have taken Barryk's head off had he not ducked and rolled away.  Gade sprang to his feet in time to intercept Drakahn's next attack, which he blocked high.  Using the opening, Barryk lashed out with his foot, ramming it into Drakahn's armoured belly.  The Messenger gave a grunt of pain and stumbled back, his hand going to the wound Rehn had inflicted in his side.  His hand came away slick with dark blood, but he ignored it as Barryk came at him, and their sabres clashed again.

               Rehn opened her eyes slowly, her thoughts muzzy.  She looked down at the hole seared hole in her chest, but from the taste of blood in her mouth, the tightness in her chest and the pain in her belly, she had a suspicion the sabre wound was the least of her problems.  When Drakahn had thrown her, she had hit the wall hard enough to know she was seriously hurt and probably bleeding internally.  She felt weak and sleepy and she watched her brother fight with what felt like surreal detachment, as though she was watching a holo drama.  The two stallions lunged at each other with their weapons, feinted, struck and parried, and while it was obvious Drakahn was tired from blood loss, it was also apparent that Barryk, while fighting hard and with conviction, was not as attuned to the Force as he had once been.  The smell of burned flesh and fur made the room stink as Barryk barely avoided a chop that would have taken off his sword arm.  _Let him die a dark, hate filled voice in her head snapped __After what he did to me, he deserves it.  Rehn's angry, pain-filled mind was inclined to agree with the strong, angry voice.  Considering what Barryk had done, did he not deserve to be punished?  Did he not deserve the death Drakahn was surely going to give him?  Pain bloomed in the Force again and Barryk stifled a cry as Drakahn's spur bit into the outside of his thigh.  His pain jolted her, clearing her mind.  She could feel her brother's desperate concern for her, and knew it was distracting him.   Looking off to her left, she saw the hilt of her sabre a dozen feet away and she reached out for it, but it would not come to her hand.  Rehn tried to rise, and failing, began to crawl towards her weapon.  _

Barryk drew his knee to his chest and posted his foot into Drakahn as their sabres locked again.   He shoved hard and the massive dark jedi was thrown back and off balance.  Gade charged and Drakahn kicked out high, his spur scoring Barryk's cheek as he pulled his face away.  It penetrated a few centimetres into the flesh, leaving an eight-inch cut that pulsed and bled profusely.  Gade could feel the blood begin to flow down his neck in a hot torrent.  The blow staggered him and Drakahn pressed his attack.   Swinging his weapon two-handed like a bat the Messenger tried to cut his younger opponent down.  Barryk danced away from the blow and kicked low, wiping Drakahn's feet from under him.  Gade's opponent fell on his back with a grunt, but flipped backward and up to his feet as Barryk plunged his blade into the spot Drakahn's head had occupied not a second earlier.

               "You have learned much since last we met Barryk, but it is quite obvious you have not practiced."  Drakahn chuckled darkly, his voice low and his breathing hard. 

"Shut up and fight." Barryk replied through clenched as he spun and danced away from the Messenger's sweeping blade.  Drakahn laughed as he lunged and feinted left.  Barryk growled as their sabres clashed and could feel his opponent draw heavily from the dark side making it felt as though the world had suddenly grown cold around them.  Drakahn's next blow fell and Gade and blocked, but the crushing blow drove him to his knees, his sabre flying the from his hand.  Exhausted, nostrils flaring in both pain and need for oxygen, Barryk found himself staring into the business end of Drakahn's sabre.  The dark jedi laughed cruelly.

"I would have waited an eternity for this, Gade." Drakahn said with a triumphant smile, his fierce, bloodied teeth showing.  "I will savour this moment for a long time, Barryk."  A weak moan somewhere behind him made him sneer.  "So, she's still alive.  Perhaps I will enjoy her one last time before she dies.  Let that thought torment you as take your last breath."  Drakahn raised his sabre swiftly over his head to administer the deathblow when Barryk caught a movement from behind the hulking stallion, but felt nothing through the Force.  A savage scream erupted from behind Drakahn and the stallion whirled as Rehn's sabre leaped to life in her hands and stabbed at his chest.  His green eyes widened in surprised.  Drakahn had not even felt her approach and he could not bring his sabre down to block.  A cry of pain and shock clawed from his throat as the blade slid into his chest, and Barryk saw the violet tip of Rehn's sabre poke out of the dark jedi's back.  Barryk scrambled backwards, afraid Drakahn would fall on him.

Rehn stood glaring at her foe as she pulled the blade from his chest.  Her legs trembled with the effort of keeping her upright, and as Barryk got to his feet he felt his heart grow cold as he looked into her mismatched eyes.  They burned bright in pure hate and he could feel it roll off her emotionally like a frigid wave.  Drakahn gaped as he fell forward, clutching at the hole in his chest and his sabre fell from his hand to roll across the polished stone of the floor.  Barryk stood in shock as Rehn raised her blade again.  _Drakahn is beaten, what are you doing…?_

"Rehn! No!!"

Even mortally wounded, Drakahn still looked surprised as Rehn let out a hoarse scream and plunged the blade into his head.  The Messenger's eyes went immediately blank, as did his presence in the Force.  She pulled the blade from his body and staggered back, her strength leaving her.  The blade deactivated and Barryk ran to her, catching her as the weapon fell from her hand.  Rehn collapsed in his arms.  Her pain filled eyes looked up at him, and a tear slid down her golden cheek.  Blood seeped from her nostrils and her breathing was laboured as she covered the hole in her chest with a trembling hand.  She looked up at him, her expression relieved, angry and hurt all at once, and Barryk grit his teeth in emotional pain as he picked her up, cradling her body to him, calling her weapon to hand.   

"Hold on Rehn…. Please..." 

**-Rogue Trooper- **


	33. Legacy

Kren silently made his way past the first patrol scanning the area.  There was nothing but necessary talk on the airways and for troops that should have been lax in their discipline, they were practically perfect examples of Imperial procedure, right out of the manual.  Somebody had pressed the garrison to above and beyond standards, meaning he was going to have a bigger fight on his hands than he had first thought.  Still no problem - this was his turf.  The patrols crisscrossed one another so one would notice if the other was taken out.  He'd have to slip through the perimeter.  It wouldn't be easy - most of the trees had recently been slashed and burned back from giant walls surrounding the city and garrison.  Kren watched as the silent ghost figures of the storm troopers moved in and out of the shadows, within the cover of the trees as well as in the cleared out area.  He'd hoped to take out some of the patrols had they been lax, but considering what he was seeing, that wasn't likely going to happen.  They were too well organized and obviously alert.  He crouched, surveying the area in thought, and a cold smile suddenly pulled back his lips.

What the Empire hopefully hadn't taken into consideration was those giant walls extended into the ground a good twenty feet, meaning the city had to have a deep drainage system so that the water would escape when it rained.  Most of the cities had such systems on Cey'lon and he was pretty sure that the Empire had been updated the drainage system, replacing the older one with newer and higher tech sewage system.  That would hopefully leave the old tunnels bone dry, not that he wouldn't go if he had to swim through chest deep sewage, but it took forever to get the smell out of his fur.

He moved away deeper into the forest, scanning the vegetation and soon noted an unmistakable difference in how green the foliage was and found the new outlet.  Nearby, a metal lid had been welded onto the almost cavernous opening of the old sewer system.  The new system had a tight security system on it, and he thanked the stars that he wouldn't have to spend the time hacking into it.  The old one, sealed as it was, did not appear to be monitored at all.

               Kren took out his cutting equipment and sliced himself a door through the thick durasteel plate covering the old system.  Striking a glow rod to illuminate the darkness, Draen snorted as the stale fumes reached his sensitive nostrils.  A cold tremor seemed to lay deep in his bones as he peered into the darkness - darkness so deep it was almost touchable.  Stepping into the tunnel and moving along the wall, he looked at the writing scribed on the walls.  It was old Thalcein script and his heart tightened as he looked at the writing of his childhood.  Few of the survivors remembered how to form the fluid script letters anymore - it had almost been swept from their culture, like their beloved people were almost swept from the galaxy, and all because of the whim of a mad man who had dared to call himself Emperor.  Kren reached a three-fingered hand out and gently stroked the writing, then turned, sealing away his pain, to get back to the work at hand.

               Draven moved quickly, using his electronic navigator to take him under the garrison barracks.  The infiltrator reached the outlet and was forced to cut out the normal opening that used to allow for maintenance to the old tunnels as the Empire had everything sealed off tight.  Still,  it had been done ages ago, most likely when the Empire had first taken the planet a few months after they had released the plague that had almost wiped his people from the universe.

               Using small shaped charges, Kren blasted away concrete that had been laid over the hole and carefully pulled himself through the opening to find himself in the middle of a huge maintenance hangar.  There were Tie fighters and surveillance skimmers, all in various stages of repair, though it was very quiet.  Kren moved along almost soundlessly and headed towards a door that should take him deeper into the sleeping complex.

               "HEY YOU STOP!  You're in a restricted area!!" Kren froze and slowly lifted his hands as he heard the filtered voice.  He heard the sound of Stormtrooper boots on cement and was careful to hide his blaster from view, not an easy task considering its size.  The footsteps stopped close behind him..._bad move_.  With lightening speed he kicked, his big spur cleaving nearest trooper's belly and Draven dropped low as blaster fire blistered the air where his head had been.  They were sharp, but definitely stormtroopers.  He'd disemboweled the one he had hit with his spur and the screaming trooper's partners where running backwards trying to lay down a cover fire as they went.  Kren picked them off with a fast, single shots to the head.

He turned quickly and ran around a pair of TIE solar panels and was met by blaster fire.  Dashing out, he kicked his feet in the air, forming a twisting somersault as his blaster layed out a steady line of fire dropping the troopers as they poked their heads up from their cover behind a blast shield.  He had walked right into a trap, the revelation hit him like an over stuffed pillow.  "Figures."

He hit the floor and rolled kicking the solar panel out at them, then dodged behind an Interceptor.  Draven caught sight of something flying through the air at him and let out a quiet curse.  Kren spun and ran towards the troopers as they all ducked.  The explosion from the thermal caught him midair as he jumped the barricade, pushing him farther behind the line of troops.  He hit the floor and rolled to face them.  His ears were flat and his teeth were bared, but his eyes sparkled. "Hi!  How's it going?"  They didn't even get a chance to raise their weapons before he mowed then down like practice dummies.  Getting his feet, Kren sprinted for the door, letting his power cartridge.  It hit the floor smoking and he rammed a new one home as the big Infiltrator inched into the interior of the corridor.  It was stark, Imperial white and brightly lit, leaving shadows to hide in – a double edged sword – a he could see the enemy, but they would also have no trouble seeing him.

               Kren continued down the hall, expecting to be mobbed by Imperials at any moment, but his progress was unimpeded, making his gut turn cold.  The corridor led to the mess hall, of all places, and it was empty.  He checked his chrono, there should of been some guards eating after their last shift.  The hair stood on the back of his neck.  He slipped into the massive room, keeping close to the wall heading towards the door at the opposite side of the room, when he heard the unmistakable sound of a high powered rifle being thumbed off safe.  Draven ducked, kicking up a table and settling behind it as the sniper fired.  Kren took a look up and saw the sniper settle amongst the storage space above the kitchen, and his quick look almost cost him an eye as the blaster fire took huge chunks out of the thick table.

               He moved off of his belly to the other edge of the hole riddled table as silence settled.  Most Imp snipers keep shooting hoping to get a lucky shot after they lose the element of surprise, but this one was good, no standard stormtrooper sniper - definitely commando, and that rifle he had was no pea shooter.  This one wasn't going to shoot until he had target confirmation.  Kren crawled under another table on his stomach, watching as the head of the sniper moved with his rifle scanning the area.  Kren holstered his big blaster rifle and pulled his smaller holdout blaster.  It was small, not even half the size if his hand, and affectionately named 'Baby Black' due to it's dusky, matte finish.  He knew where the sniper was, and just prayed his enemy had lost track of him.  Kren rolled from under the table and immediately brought his small blaster up as the sniper swung his weapon to bear.   Kren fired first.  The sniper was silenced.

               Draven stoop up, scanning the area, then fell to his stomach again as the rest of the commando unit fell into the room.  The side windows of the serving area, where troops would line up for chow was served, rolled up suddenly.  Instead of now instead of the normal steaming plates of hot sludge and gray uniformed Imperial cooks, twelve black clad special operatives stood and the area exploded as the blaster fire rained down on him.  Kren did the best he could to turtle up and protect his vitals.  A large peace of the table slashed through a chink in his armor and into the meat of his thigh.  He bit back a scream of anger, and snorted, royally pissed off.  Taking a couple of quick breaths as though he were about to go underwater, Draven pulled his blaster rifle from it's holster and raised both weapons as he rolled up to a knee and shot above their heads.  At first nothing happened and the commando kept up their fire… and then the metal curtain fell.  Even from behind the thick metal curtain, he could still hear the screams as the commandos' fire was deflected back into their faces.  Kren got up, looking at his leg seeing it wasn't that bad.

               "My new pants!  Sith Spawn!" he mutters, sticking a finger into the tear and wiggling it around.  It came back bloody, but as it wasn't gushing arterially, it could wait.  The silence was a nice change to the scream of blaster blots, but it did not last.  There was a simple sound of heeled boots striking the thick top of a counter.  

"You called?"  The voice was deep, seductive and definitely female.  Draven turned slowly to see the Sith, perched on the top a table.  She had a blaster strapped to her arm, and the metal cylinder in her hand was unmistakable as her lightsaber.  Her long raven black hair hung in her face and spread over her back in an ebony cascade.  She wore a sleeveless back top,  black pants,  and combat boots with a higher heel than standard issue.  She looked at him with a slightly raised well-defined eyebrow, dark red lips almost edging into a smirk, her arms resting on her bent knees, in an almost relaxed position.

               Draven's ears flattened.  "Rage Vader."

               This brought an evil smile to her face.  It was almost sadistic in nature.  "In the flesh.  Where is your little Jedi friend?"

               "Who?  I'm here for the food."  His blue eyes widened in feigned innocence as he shrugged.

               Rage chuckled and jumped to the top of a near by table, she moved like a cat on the hunt.  Kren remembered bedtime stories of ghostly feline predators that had would steal children from their beds in the dark of night.  In his deepest nightmares he would never of conjured up anything close to the feeling he was getting now - of being stalked, sized up and sold by the body part before the last breath had even left his lungs.

               "Well I'm afraid you're a little late." Rage gestured with her chin to the collapsed curtain.  "Kitchen is closed."

"Ah!  All right then, maybe next time.  I'll buy."  He backed away, his weapons on her and heard the familiar snap hiss of the saber as the blood red blade sprang to life from the hilt in her hand.  The blade seemed a mixture of bright red and a darker brown, as though it were slowly drying blood.  He wondered how many beings had fallen to it.

               "Coffee is still hot.  Might I interest you in a cup?  We can discuss matters such as, oh I don't know.... Thalcein history perhaps."

               He snorted his hand reaffirming the grip on his blasters.  "What could possibly interest you in Thalcein history?"

               The smile dissolved from her face, a deep concentration replaced it.  "What makes you tick of course."

               He felt the mental assault and the pain in his head sent him to his knees.  His lips pulled back in almost a snarl as a low squeal emitted from his throat, then he felt his mind lock down, closing her presence out completely.

"Impressive, I'm guessing Barryk showed you that or maybe even Seph.  Must of taken years.  I'm beginning to think you're more than just another rebel grunt."

"So what if I am, witch?"  He looked up at her with a shake of his head, seeing that her smile had returned.  

"That means Barryk will want to come back for body parts."  Kren opened fire with both his blasters.  Rage spun in the air, pin wheeling her legs out, and landed on the next table and then flipped grabbing the edge of the table and standing on her hand for a single second before letting gravity have her taught athletic body as she fell.  The table was hurled at him by her wrist strength alone.  He spun on one foot, and kicked it aside with the other.  He fired at her again with a ringing battle cry.

               The Sith caught his blaster fire with her saber blade and deflected it into the ceiling and floor, while her eyes diverted from him.  Another table took flight as she used the dark energies of the Force to hurl it at his head.  He ducked and rolled and she came at him, planted her feet in his chest and knocking him back against the wall.  The wall gave and he fell through.  He kicked his legs out but she avoided them with simple grace.

               Rage slashed down, meaning to cut him in half.  Kren tore out a chunk of masonry from the ruined wall and swing it, catching her in the stomach and she fell back.  Draven pulled himself backwards into the hall and was getting to his feet as she stepped out of the mess after him.  "Impressive.  My respect for the Thalcein race is growing with each encounter, despite my opinions on Drakahn."

               Kren stood and threw his shoulders back, she was extremely tall for a human female but he still toward over her.  "You can count Drakahn among your ranks, the traitor is not welcome in ours, Sith."

               She reignited her saber.  "No thanks."  She swung and he dodged just in time.  He closed his eyes tight and turned his head as he let her slice through his little blaster.  Instead of exploding like most energy driven weapons would, this one let out a flash strobe then sizzled harmlessly.  Both Rage and Kren fell back.  Kren opened his eyes but saw only grayish white shadows move against a white background.  His mind raced and he got to his feet and dove towards where the window should be.  He felt the double pained glass give under his weight and then the fall.  He impacted with the ground and struggle to his feet and stumbled, his sight still useless.  He reached out with his hearing and what he heard wasn't good.  Heavy, determined footsteps were heading his way.

"Today is just not the day for the good guys."

*******

Rage rose up slowly from the floor, bloody tears rolling down her face from the strobe fragments slicing into her tearducts.  Sliding her hand from her glove, she touched her eyes to make sure the lids were open, and she felt the wetness of her open eyeballs against the tips of her fingers.  A deep panic filled her, and it felt like something was squeezing her heart.  The Sith took a deep breath, pulling a red silk bandana from her pocket and wrapped it around her head over her eyes to protect them.  Rage pulled in deep with the Force, and the world appeared in her mind as blue, black, greens, and a deep red, everything circulating and pulsing with The Force.  She cursed in Sith and slowly her mind interpreted and she could see.  He had jumped out of the window.

               She got to her feet and headed over looking down and not seeing anything.  She turned on her booted heels and sprinted off towards the lower levels, calling her saber easily to her hand.

*******

Kren fell to his back letting the sounds getting closer to him. "Go ahead…Kill me.  All I ask is you throw my body to the forest so I might lay with my ancestors."

               "Do I have to wait until you're dead?"

Kren sat up in surprise.  "Barryk?!  I have _never_ been so glad to hear that annoyingly coarse voice of yours.  Is Rehn...?"

"She's here.  Can't you see?" Barryk looked down at his friend in concern. 

"My escape plan kinda blew up in my face, but it got me away from Rage."  Barryk was helping Kren to his feet and stopped in mid-motion. 

"Rage....Rage Vader is _here_?"

Rehn groaned in his arms, breathing in quiet, shallow gasps and he readjusted his hold on her as he helped Kren up.  Gade handed his wounded sister to the Infiltrator, and he listened with dread to her poor breathing.  His vision was getting better with each passing moment, and he could now make out Barryk's dark image, though the detail wasn't quite there yet.  "Rage got the brunt of the strobe.  She might not even come after us.."

               Barryk moved off, his saber suddenly out and ignited. "She doesn't need her eyes to see.  Come on, we have to hurry."  They moved along the wall heading for the main entrance that Barryk had come in when she seemed to drop from nowhere.  She had been trailing then, and until she had seen that Rehn was in no shape to fight, the Sith had considered just sending out a legion of stormtroopers to take them down, but Rage was confident that even without her sight she could take the born-again jedi and a half-blind infiltrator burdened with two hundred plus pounds of wounded Rehn.  Rage landed in front of Barryk and  crouched in an attack stance, pulling hard on the dark side to quell the pain in her eyes and still see through the Force.

               "You must be Barryk....nice to finally meet you." A cold smile crept to her dark lips.

"The pleasure is all your, Sith Spawn."  He stopped, the tension easing now that he knew where she was.

She sighed.  "You keep calling us 'Sith Spawn' like it's some kind of insult. I hate to tell ya this buddy, but that's what we are.  It really isn't all that much of a slanderous remark.  Try calling us...hmm…I don't know... '_Alien_'?  Ugh, yeah that would do it.  Or 'shrag'."  Her voice pulled at Barryk's mind as she laced each word with the dark side.  She was crafty, slipping in her influence in jeers and smart mouthed comments instead of threats and most didn't even notice it until she had them so flustered they couldn't fight.  He felt a cold tremor run over his back from her words, but something nudged at his consciousness.  It was Rehn.

"What we call you will not change what you are, murderer."

               "Now Barryk, be nice.  I wasn't the one who killed your parents." There was nasty amusement in her voice as it turned sarcastic.

Barryk ground his teeth and advanced.  "Let us pass, Rage."

               "Oh, I was!  But that wasn't the secrete password."  She attacked, her eyes still covered but her movements were controlled and exact.  They fought, and she easily pushed him back feeding off his use of the force.  This was what she did...she killed Jedi.  She spun hard and landed a kick to his injured ribs.  Barryk went down hard with a grunt.

               Rage addressed Rehn, her apparently unconscious form cradled in Draven's arms  "Thanks for killing Drakahn...what a pain in the ass he was." Her head swung towards Barryk and she gave him a sneer.  "You do know you were too late don't you?"

"What are you talking about, witch?"  He gasped trying to get his wind back.  He felt Rehn stir in the Force, despite her lip look.

               "Your little sister.  She's lost, given to the dark side.  You won't realize it right away but once down the dark path forever will it control your destiny.  She's lost to you.  You might as well let me have her, and considering what you've done to her Barryk, you owe her that much.  She'll take Drakahn's place but at least she'll be alive."

"She isn't going to die."  He started getting the feel for what Rehn was doing and pulled the force to him as well.

               "She will be.  You're going to have to kill your own sister, when her anger takes her.  It will be your only option.  How poetically ironic." She stopped, seeming to consider her words "Of course if I kill you now, it won't matter.   Enough with the musing."  She kicked him in the jaw, knocking him down again and flipped off her saber, putting the business end of the handle to the middle of his forehead, her finger over the switch.  "Bye bye."

               Rehn released her attack as did Barryk, and while not blocking most of the Force energy Rage was drawing on, they at least confused it a great deal.  Her sight went black as she tried to force away the light that suddenly surrounded her, and Barryk swept out a leg and knocked her to the ground.  The Sith rolled to her feet, her still struggling to regain control of the Force flow as Gade charged and hit her in the stomach with his shoulder.  Rage still had her cat like agility and rolled away as he struck the wall of the building behind her.

"Oh, Kriff...."  She swore in a smooth erotic language that Barryk identified as Sith.  It made their ears hurt as if they were being assaulted by hot pokers not spoken words.  She backed away from them, her heels striking the edge of one of the new drainage systems.  Barryk drew the Force to him and gave the blinded Sith a hard, invisible push.  All they heard was a splash before they were out of the gate.

**-Kelly Black- **


	34. Legacy

               Barryk could hear the hovertanks closing in the as they returned to the _Arcapus_.  Kren punched in the security codes as Barryk kept a watchful eye for an ambush, and the boarding ramp came down quickly.  Draven ducked and charged up the ramp, Barryk hot on his heals.  

               "It looked like half their TIES fighters were down for repairs." Kren told Barryk as he made his way to the tiny medial bay near the cockpit.  To his growing relief his eyesight had returned, though his head throbbed like an open wound.  Barryk nodded, knowing there was nothing more he could do for Rehn except get her off the planet safely.  Kren was a capable field medic, but Barryk was still loathed to leave her.   Leaping into the pilot's seat, he strapped in and fired up the engines without a pre-flight check.   The _Arcapus_'s engines fired to life with a roar and the repulsors raised the ship as the landing gear came up.  The ship leapt forward as it rose above the trees as the TIEs from the garrison closed in.

*****

               Rehn was more than content to just stay in her semi conscious state, until something pressed into her chest.  The white-hot flare of pain tore a ragged scream from her throat, though it was hoarse and quiet.  She had used what was left of her strength to help Barryk fight Rage, and she could barely summon the power to flail.  Her mismatched eyes opened, and found herself staring into an unfamiliar face who blinked at her in surprise.  The big stallion looked down at her, his hand coming up to catch her fist as she struck at him weakly.

               "It's ok." He soothed, putting her wrist to the bed gently.  "You're safe now.  Just lie still, you're hurt."

               "Don't…" she could hardly breath and her voice was little more than a whisper though it was defiantly a threat. "Don't touch me."  Rehn looked down at herself and realize, in horror, that her shirt had been remove.  She panicked, trying to get up while Kren tried to hold her down.               "Rehn, please…." Kren tried to reason with her, though he wished she were stable enough to sedate as her spur clipped his thigh.  "Rehn, you've got a hole in your chest and internal injuries.  If you don't let me help you, you will die."  Tears of anger, frustration and pain welled in her eyes as the glared at him and her eyes narrowed.  Draven's fur prickled as the air around him became dense, and he steeled himself for the Force push that sent him into the wall.  The concentration needed to perform the push drained what little power she'd had in reserve and her legs collapses as she tried to get off the bunk.  Kren caught her and placed her gently on the bed, feeling his heart ache as her muscles trembled in exhaustion and pain.  She lay still and semi conscious, trying to breath as tears ran down her golden cheeks.  Draven examined the wound carefully, biting his lip as he saw how deeply Drakahn's sabre had burned into her left lung.  He gently applied a bacta patch to seal the wound above her breast, and felt her skin crawl in revulsion at his touch.  His jaw clenched, unable to imagine what Drakahn had put her through.  Rehn's breathing became slightly less laboured, and he gave her a shot of mild painkiller before covering her with a warm blanket.

               "You don't have to be afraid anymore, kid." He reached out to stroke her cheek comfortingly, but she pulled her face away, her eyes large and frightened.  Kren pulled his hand back.  He began to pack up the medical gear and tend to his minor wounds at the same time.  Rehn was in bad shape, though he hadn't needed a medical scanner to tell him that, but at least he didn't have to worry about her attacking him at the moment.  Draven gave a sigh and pealed the rest of his armour from his body, leaving him in sweat soaked camo fatigues and wiped the blood from his hands on a white, sterile towel.  _You're lucky she got you first, you bastard._  Kren's cursed the dead enforcer with terms so vile he would have not uttered them allowed even in the presence of his Team Six buddies.  '_Cause whatever she did to you would have been a picnic on Alderaan compared to what I would have done.  _The big Infiltrator felt the deck shiver slightly beneath his feet as the ship slid into hyperspace, and while he felt a great weight come off his shoulders, he was also suspicious.  There had been two star destroyers orbiting the planet, and he had expected to be blow into constituent atoms during their escape, but from what he could tell, the ship had not even been harassed by TIEs.  The door to the small med-bay opened and Barryk stepped in, forcing Kren to hug the wall.

               "Want me to take a look at those ribs?" he offered, but Gade shook his head.

               "How is she?" his voice was obviously worried as he looked at the monitoring equipment.  Kren looked at him and shook his head minutely, putting a hand to his adopted brother's shoulder.

               "Not good." he replied softly.  Rehn seemed to have lost consciousness and her respiration was still poor.  Draven reached over and put an oxygen mask over her muzzle to help her breath.  "That hole in her chest goes right through her lung and back, but that's not the worst of it.  She's got some deep bruising to her liver and spleen, and she's got some internal bleeding, but there's nothing I can do about it other than try to keep her comfortable.  I can only try to keep her stable till we get back to the fleet. But…" Kren looked away, his head drooping "if we can't get her into a bacta tank soon, she isn't going to make it."   Barryk nodded stoically at his words.  He didn't need to ask about her mental state, even unconscious, her fear, hate and guilt could be felt through the Force.  Though he was worried about her physical state, he knew her body would be easier to mend than her mind.  

               "Why don't you get cleaned up and get some rest."  Barryk clapped Kren on the shoulder.  "I'll stay with her." The younger soldier nodded and squeezed by Barryk to get to the door.

               "Don't beat yourself up over this, Barryk." Kren said over his shoulder, pausing in the door. "You did what you thought was right." 

               Gade knelt by the bunk and took Rehn's limp hand in his, kissing the skinned knuckles and placing it against his forehead as his eyes squeezed shut.  He wanted to touch her with the Force, but did not want to risk a mental backlash.

               "I'm so sorry." He whispered, his deep voice nearly cracking in emotional pain. "I didn't know what else to do.  I only pray you can forgive me in time." Tears flowed down his cheeks, only wishing she were able to respond. "Please…don't leave me."

               Kren showered, redressed his wounds made his way back to the med-bay.  He was used to going long periods without sleep and knowing Barryk was emotionally exhausted, wanted him to rest.  He found Rehn still out, on her back on the bunk, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to breath, and Barryk sitting beside her, holding her unresponsive hand.

               "Go and get cleaned up, Barryk."  Kren put a hand on his shoulder "There's nothing you can do for her right now."

               "I should stay with her…" 

               "Barryk, you're sweaty, you're covered in blood, you're hurt and you stink." Draven replied dryly. Gade looked down at himself, and realized for the first time that his clothing was splattered with browning patches of drying blood, some of it his own.  Silently, he nodded and left the small room, looking back at Rehn before stepping through the door.

****

Kren sat in the warm chair and checked her pulse, his fingers at her throat.  The filly's skin shivered and she groaned heavily.  Her breathing had worsened and her heart rate was slowly but steadily dropping.  Draven checked his watch and let out a pent up breath – they only had a few more minutes before reversion to realspace, and then Rehn would get the medical care she desperately needed.  Mismatched eyes slowly opened, and she stirred slightly.  Gade's head turned lethargically towards Kren, her expression incredibly tired looking.

"Who are you…" she was barely able to manage the words, and her eyes were unfocused.  Everything about her spoke of a soldier who knew she was dying, and took comfort in the though, knowing it would end her suffering.  Kren had seen the look many times before, but never on a face so young.

"Captain Kren Draven, Alliance Special Forces." She obviously didn't recognize him, though he hadn't expected her too.  When she had been born, he and Barryk had already been in the Tay'axia Clan's elite Legion for 3 years.  He had been too busy fighting off the Lakeeta and the Empire to visit his adopted parents very often, and while he had never forgotten her, she had been much to young to remember him. "Hang on Rehn, we're just a few minutes from the Fleet." 

"Barryk…...?" her voice trailed of and her eyelids fluttered slightly.  

"He's driving." He held her hand "Did you want to talk to him?"  By the way she flattened her ears and turned her head away, he guessed 'no'.

"Thirsty….." 

"I know you are kid, but I can't give you anything orally or pump anymore IV fluids into you.  Just hang on a little longer, ok?" Kren was greatly relieved as he felt the ship convert to realspace, until Rehn gave a sudden hacking cough the shook her body, and the clear plastoid oxygen mask was abruptly sprayed with a thick, blue-purple mist.  She tried to roll onto her side, and Kren rolled her towards him. as he pulled off the mask.

"Oh shit.. Hand on Rehn, we're almost there." He pleaded with her.  Something was haemorrhaging and he couldn't stop the bleeding, he didn't have the equipment or the training.  He slapped the com panel on the wall. "Barryk, get us to the Fleet's medical frigate.  _Now_!" 

"What's wrong?" Gade's voice was desperate with worry.

"Red line the damn engines if you have to." Kren tried to stop Rehn's body from convulsing from the coughing that racked her body, as blood ran in a slow flow from her nostrils and mouth.  Draven heard the engines roar, though the sound was almost lost to Rehn's hacking gasps, and felt the ship leap forward.  

*****

               Barryk paced the corridor outside the surgery ward aboard the Alliance Medical Frigate _Bright Hope.  Kren sat on the deck, his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them.  Neither had said a word in hours.  Rehn had stopped breathing when they had boarded the ship, and the waiting medical personnel had been trying to revive her as they rushed her to the OR.  After what seemed like an eternity, to Barryk at least, the chief medical officer came through the doors.  _

"Well?" 

"She's lost a lot of blood.  The internal injuries she sustained were bad, and a vein in her damaged lung began to haemorrhage.  We stopped the bleeding and repaired the artery.  She'll be in the tank for three or four days." he said, his voice matter-of-fact but sympathetic.

"Can I see her?" Barryk asked, his throat tight.

"They're putting her in the tank as we speak.  She's out right now, under heavy sedation.  She started to fight when she first came out of surgery, so we thought it would be best to keep her under."  Kren got to his feet and put his arm around his friend's shoulders.

"Come on, buddy.  Let's grab some coffee." he said steering Barryk away.  He looked back over his shoulder "Thanks Doc."  The surgeon nodded and returned to the ward.

               They were not allowed to stay aboard the _Hope and had to transfer their ship to the fleet flag, a MonCal starcruiser called __United Front.  They had just landed and were coming down the ramp when a Mon Cal ensign ran up to them.  _

"Major, you are to report to Ops wardroom 3."

"Right now?" Barryk asked, slightly irritable.  The ensign gave him an apologetic look.

"Yesterday, sir."

               The ship was large enough that is took Barryk and Kren ten minutes to find Ops w3.  They strode through the door and stopped in their tracks as though they had hit a brick wall.  Kren gave a snort of surprise.  General Airen Craken leaned back against the battered old desk that dominated the room, his eyes cold and glowering in their direction.  Barryk felt his stomach turn cold.

"Welcome back, gentlemen."  Those where his words, though there was not hint of welcome in them.  Both Thalcein snapped to rigid attention, ready for a royal ass-chewing.

"Imagine my surprise when, while with fleet on a totally different set of affairs, I happen to wind up on the one ship in the galaxy you two deserters show up on." He said shaking his head at the coincidence.  Neither Thalcein spoke, or looked at him, their eyes boring into the wall behind him.

"You." Craken said, getting to his feet and pointing his finger at the much taller Barryk "You desert.  _Then you have the__ nerve to__ ask for classified intelligence to attack a target that has be considered too heavily fortified, albeit with little strategic value at the moment, to bother with."  Craken then pointed his finger at Kren accusingly._

"And you Captain." the man's eyes narrowed "You _desert, __steal a starship and __hack into the Alliances SpecForce computer database to download classified material.  I am seriously not impressed with you.  I trusted you and you betrayed that trust.  I do not like to be betrayed."  He stepped away from them and back to the desk, sitting heavily in the chair behind it.  He looked at them for a long moment before speaking again. "I want a full report of your actions on my desk by 0230.  Debriefing will be at 0700."_

               Barryk blinked.  He had expected much worse, not that having your Commanding Officer yell at you and question your loyalty to the cause wasn't bad enough.  Kren was as surprised as Barryk.

"Yes, sir." they barked in unison.

"How is Rehn doing, Barryk?" Craken asked, looking up form his data pad.  Gone was the fire and brimstone, replaced by genuine concern.

"Physically she'll be ok.  Mentally?  She's been through a lot in the last 4 weeks.  She's going to need time."

               Craken nodded.  He didn't want to ask, but he had to "Do you think they broke her?"  Barryk knew the question was coming.  Craken had to think of the secrecy and safety of the Alliance.

"She wasn't able to speak when I got to her."  Barryk replied, and Craken looked into his steel gray eyes a long moment.  Gade could see the pain and regret in the General's eyes, though he otherwise hid it well.

"Very well. Dismissed."  The two Thalcein turned to go "Good work, gentlemen."  Barryk and Kren looked over their shoulders and nodded thanks, then retreated through the door.


	35. Legacy

Rage sat back sulking as she stared into the holo image.  The face that was displayed in perfect 3-D image was smiling from ear to ear.  His nicely fitted white uniform hugged his body perfectly as he leaned back in his formchair and swirled the glass of red liqueur in his hand.  His glow red eyes projected his amusement.

"So the mighty Lady Rage Vader is defeated by a rebel mercenary." Grand Admiral Thrawn chuckled and regarded the liquid in the snifter thoughtfully. "Oh, to have been there to see that."

"He was no mercenary, had to be an Infiltrator.  Probably friggin Team 6 scum.  Wasn't my fault, his blaster was booby-trapped.  And Drakahn failed." Rage muttered looking down at her gloved hands.  She pushed the dark sunglasses up her nose to better conceal her still healing eyes, even though the lights in the room were already dimmed.  The Doc hadn't been kidding about the sensitivity to light.  Thrawn chuckled and took a sip of the liqueur, swirling it around in his mouth in a cultured way before letting it slide down his throat and enjoying the sweet, smoky burn.

"Ah!  A nice Alderaanian vintage so old the berries this nectar sprang from were ripe upon the vine the year Alderaan decided to be eternal victims and set their defenses adrift in the cold reaches of space." He smelled the glass then took another drink. "The sweet taste of ignorance."

"Yeah yeah, I get your point.  I underestimated the situation a little." Rage sat back rolling her eyes behind her glasses.

"More like you got caught up in the Thalcein female's little holodrama - parents killed in front of her youthful eyes - the story does seem to ring a bell." Thrawn smiled kindly at her, a dark brow raised as though in speculation.

               "I was happy to see my parents die."  Rage bristled.  Besides the Emperor and Lord Vader, only Thrawn or Reg would dare speak to her like this without fear of instant retribution.

"Of course, but that doesn't change the scenario.  You connected with her and it broke your concentration.  That and I'm sure the rebel was skilled, but that does not change the fact you should have been with Drakahn to destroy Barryk.  You wanted the Messenger to fail and gambled that if you were not present when he faced Barryk, he probably would die.  So, you came up with a plan to ensure you weren't there to aid him."

               "You know, sometimes I'm glad you're out in the rim." Rage looked at him blankly and rubbed her face as Thrawn chuckled.  If Thrawn could so easily deduce what she had done, her superiors would also have figured it out.  

               "You think I would provide any insight that the Emperor doesn't all ready possess?" Thrawn found this darkly amusing and chuckled, swirling his snifter again.

               "I can hope.  Speaking of which, I should be leaving for my debriefing with his Excellency.  I will speak to you later Thrawn." 

               "Take care of yourself Rage.  I am impatiently awaiting your return!" Thrawn nodded his expression one of thinly veiled concern.

"May the force be with you." Rage smiled, but it faded quickly when she clicked off the holo-feed and sliding on the heavy Sith armor.  She listened as the airtight seal brought the leather tight to her body with a hiss and her eyes traveled to her skull like helmet on her desk.  Much like Lord Vader's but slightly less violent, it was sculpted for her from an artists rendition of a Sith glyph.  Rage regarded the helmet and considered sliding it on to hide behind the black eyepieces, to use it as a break between her and the Emperor's anger._ Wouldn't work_.  Lord Vader wore full Sith armor all of the time, slightly modified for his damaged lungs and faced the Emperors terrible temper and was disciplined just as harshly for his infrequent failures.  She could not hide from that kind of abuse, no matter how she had tried.  She turned and walked out, leaving the helmet behind.  The best way to handle these situations was to allow the force as her defense, the dark side that empowered her Master's anger now her only friend.

****

She knelt and stared at the floor as she listened to Lord Vader breathe.  He stood to her left, having arrived long before she had entered the throne room while the Emperor stood near his throne speaking to an aide.  As the conversation halted and Palpatine's eyes shifted to her, Rage sensed the darkest being in the galaxy move approach.  She knew he was angry, though she could never quite judge just _how_ angry.  His presence was deeply shrouded in an opaque darkness but at the moment she guessed even someone not open to the force could sense the Sith master's fury.  Rage looked down at the dark floor through her glasses and the image of his face reflected back at her in the polished black stone.  She was terror struck.

"Rise, Lady Vader." His voice crackled out at her. The word 'Vader' a name from the Sith language, a word that could cause terror in the hearts of Imperial officers, held no power when spoken by the Emperor.  To him, 'Vader' merely described the two being before him – two being bent to his will.  Rage stood and looked down at him. 

"You have failed me, Vader.  I sent you to deal with a simple problem and you failed.  The way that you handled yourself in this matter is shameful to both the Imperial house and the Imperial Navy.  You have disgraced us." The words were laced heavily with the Dark Side and each was a slap in the face.  Rage knew that it should have been Drakahn standing here, not her and in a flash, her temper slipped.

"Master, you have been misinformed.  The Messenger was the one who has failed.  _Drakahn_ was the one unable to control Rehn Gade – the idiot fell in love with a child that was born when he was already old!  The situation was stacked poorly in the first place." Rage's fists clenched and only after she had spouted out her tantrum did she feel how shallow it was.  Thrawn had been right - she had wanted The Messenger to fail.  So what if Barryk and Rehn got away, just as long as she had been proven right and Drakahn, a competitor for both Vader and Palpatine's regard, was destroyed.  

The Emperor's punishment was sudden and swift, mental slap that made her lock her jaw in pain.  Palpatine, although frail in body, had no need for others to inflict his punishment.  Her nose began to bleed profusely, spilling two heavy trickles of crimson down her lips and chin as her brain practically ruptured from the attack.  Rage staggered heavily but somehow stayed on her feet.

"Really?  So it was the fault of a dead enforcer that you failed to carry out your mission as ordered?  You are pitiful." the Emperor spat.  He turned from her and stalked slowly back to his throne as though nothing had happened.  

"You knew of Barryk Gade's interest in his sister, yet you stayed with the garrison to deal with one rebel we had no interest in." Vader, who had be so far silent save for his breathing finally spoke and his tone was both disdainful and disgusted.

"_You _should talk, Darth."  Rage turned on the lesser threat like a viper.  "You destroyed Rehn's repression mechanism when you assaulted her mind!  If you hadn't been so interested in how powerful she was, Drakahn would of been able to keep her under control.  It was your self-importance that forced me to face two jedi instead of one." Vader just stood glaring down at her and she continued, jabbing a finger into his chest.  "And who's bright idea was it to send the fleet off?  Had they still been in orbit, they could have destroyed the rebels before they jumped into hyperspace!  Smart move there, Ani!"

Vader hit her with a force blast that would have killed her had the Emperor not partially blocked it.  Instead Rage fell backwards, her head striking the floor with an audible crack.

"Enough!  This is pointless.  Lady Vader failed and will be punished.  For now she will follow her beacon and bring me the head of Barryk Gade.  Now go." Palpatine sat back heavily in his throne and waved dismissively.  Lord Vader turned sharply and strode out of the chamber, filled with a rage that would more than likely be released on some unfortunate, expendable officer.  Rage carefully picked herself up off of the floor and bowed, turning to leave.  A cold, unseen touch stopped her in her tracks. "Do not fail me again."

"Master, you disapproval is a deeper wound than and weapon could inflict.  I will shed the blood of a Jedi." Rage turned, her concealed eyes locked on his.  A smiled touched the Emperor's lips as he saw her strength and marveled at her power.  A lesser being would be dead.   He laughed and she turned, shaking so badly she barely made it out of the doors before she collapsed against the dark wall.  Tears rolled down her face as her body shook violently.  Rage clenched her teeth to keep from biting her tongue in agony.  After awhile her fear subsided and she rose shakily to continue the hunt.

****

"Holy mother of Vader!  Ouch!" Kren sat up in his bunk, smacking his head hard on the one above him. Alarms were blaring, screaming for people to report to their battle stations.  He sighed and slipped out of bed.  He had stayed with Rehn until she had fallen asleep, and then slipped back to his billet ship to rest and leave her to think.  Draven pulled on his clothing and bolted down the corridor, trying to avoid running into the other scrambling personnel.

"What's up?  One of the patrolling fighter jocks spot a foxy tug boat captain?" He reached the war room and found Barryk already there and looking at a display. 

               "I wish."  Barryk snorted and pointed at the holomap "Interdiction ships.  Seems they knew where we were. The Fleet hit a jump point here and were just pulled out of hyperspace.  Seem the Empire tracked our ship." 

"OUR ship?  As in that piece of crap I sto...." he looked over at Cracken, who stood with arms crossed and a tired expression " uh… borrowed?"

"The same."  The General replied "It was shielded from sensors and the only reason it was found at all was because a technician spotted it.  It was destroyed but apparently it was too little too late."

"Wow, now that's a fleet.  At least we'll be destroyed by something presentable." Kren looked at the schematics with a sinking feeling despite his flippant tone.

               "Two _Victory_ classand one _Imperial_ class Star Destroyers, one interdiction ship and three _Lancer_ frigates, all fully stocked with fighters.  Yeah it's Rage Vader all right." Cracken nodded from his station as readiness reports began to come in and the fleet shifted into battle formation.

"Think I've had enough of her to last a lifetime." Kren groaned and Barryk shouldered into him.

"You're not the only one."

**Kelly Black**


	36. Legacy

               Rehn's eyes fluttered open slowly, the heavy sedative finally wearing off.  She felt nauseas.  It hurt to breath.  It hurt to move.  It hurt to think.  Her vision was blurry at first, lacking defined shape and colour while her tongue a thick wool blanket in her mouth.  She breathed in a slow, laboured rhythm, her damaged lung not yet fully healed and tried to speak through the oxygen mask over her face.  A guttural groan escaped her throat and she tried to sit up, only to find she could not move.  Soft straps held her in place and the thought of restraint made her heart hammer in sudden terror.  Gade's bleary eyes snapped open and she began to struggle.

"Rehn?" the voice seemed so far away "It's ok Rehn, just calm down." Her vision began to clear and a vaguely familiar white and brown face came into focus.  The heart monitor beside the bed beeped an angry rhythm that threatened to draw medical attention from the watch station down the hall.  

"Kren?" It took her a moment to remember his name. Her voice was a raspy, dry croak and she felt him take her hand.

"Relax Rehn, you're among friends." Draven's voice was soft and concerned as he removed the oxygen mask. "Just lay still and try to get some rest, ok?" Rehn looked around slowly, but even the motion of her head turning made it feel as though she were being spun in a centrifuge.  

"Why am I all tied up?" she was beginning to grow more coherent and she worked her jaws to moisten her mouth.  Kren sat back in the folding chair feeling incredibly tired.

"Probably because despite the fact you were heavily sedated you still managed to freak out and punch one of the staff doctors in the face before you lost consciousness."  Draven took note of the fact that she did not enquire about her brother's absence.  "If you promise to behave I'll take the restraints off." He regarded her steadily, the expressive creases around his right eye arched as though not quite sure he could believe her.

 "Just get these damn things off me."  She muttered sourly.  Kren's lips pulled back into a grim line to show he wasn't kidding about the 'behave yourself'.  Rehn sat up as he released the wrist restraints and chest strap, the light blue of the hospital gown she wore a bad contrast to her dull gold coat. 

Shuffling back in the bed, Gade let her back rest against the cool steel of the bulkhead, drawing her knees to her chest under the yellow blanket that covered her.  The room was small, sterile and white, and Rehn recognized it as an isolation unit.  

She was safe?  Rehn shivered, almost expecting a squad of stormtroopers to walk through the door as some kind of cruel joke.  After weeks of captivity she was safe and back with the Alliance, but what she had lost came back quickly to haunt her.  She had failed – failed her father, failed her partner and failed the Alliance.  She had been played for a fool and had almost turned into what she had fought so hard against.  Rehn held back her tears with a clenched jaw until the thought of how disappointed Gellan would be crept into her thoughts.  She had failed her best friend and mentor when he had needed her most.  _If only I'd tried harder to get up.  Forgive me Gellan.  I miss you so much._  Hot tears threatened to stream from her eyes as she choked back her grief and she buried her face into her arms.  She was a soldier and soldiers didn't cry.

Draven watched silently as Rehn fought the misery that made her body tremble and his chest grew heavy at seeing her so obviously emotionally traumatized.  He put a gentle hand to her shoulder but she shrank away as though he'd threatened to hit her.  Kren pulled his hand back slowly.

"Rehn, it's ok." He tried to reassure her.  "You've been through hell.  Let it out.  There's no shame in crying.  I know how you feel – well partially at least."

"How could _you _possibly know how _I_ feel!?" Gade's ears flattened and her head rose from veil of her arms, her teeth bared in anger.  "You don't know shit about me."  Kren's gut grew cold from the intense look in her red-rimmed eyes.  She was trying to intimidate him, drive him away but Kren held firm, his face never losing the look of concern.

"I know your partner was the only real friend you've had since you and Barryk quit speaking.  I know what it's like to lose someone that important to you." 

"Leave me alone." She growled miserably, unable to hold his crystalline eyes any longer.  Rehn buried her head back into her arms and breathed angrily as she suppressed her tears.

"It helps to talk about it." He replied quietly.  "I'm a good listener." Kren was unsure how much he could push her, but by the way the air had begun to crackle with angry energy he guessed pressing the point would not be wise.  

The soft whoosh of the room's only door made his head turn, and an officer in an Alliance Intelligence uniform strolled in unannounced.  Kren got to his feet and intercepted the man before he got more than two steps into the room.  The man was short by human male standards and had the white, pasty complexion of someone who rarely got out into the sun.  He was a Colonel by the name of Krenel, as Kren had learned from his earlier dealings with the man and he had all the interpersonal skills of a Gamorean.  Col. Krenel had debriefed both he and Barryk and had been none to subtle in his opinion of those who would shirk their duties to the Rebellion on a 'personal whim'.  Unfortunately, he was the highest-ranking Intel officer with the and he was taking this assignment a little more seriously than Draven would have liked.

"Can I help you, Colonel?" Kren tried to keep his voice polite and even though he had to make an effort to keep the words from coming from between clenched teeth.

"Is the lieutenant awake?" He looked up at the much taller Thalcein and Kren could clearly count his extra chins. "I'm trying to get this mess wrapped up as quickly as possible."  Draven looked over his shoulder at Gade who had once again buried her head into her arms and then faced Krenel again using his body as a shield Rehn from view.  He stepped closer to the man, his broad chest almost bumping him in the face.

"She isn't in any shape to be interrogated right now, sir." Draven's voice dropped in both pitch and volume, turning almost into a growl.  "The lieutenant needs time to rest and heal." Kren was normally a very patient being – it came with a job that required him to sit for days in one spot waiting for the one shot he might get at his target.  He had learned tolerate a lot, but at the moment he felt ready to choke Krenel.

"Yes, yes." The little man waved dismissively.  "I'm sure it's painful, but I want to get this over and done with." Krenel looked up stoically as he spoke, but cringed when Kren's eyes flashed in anger.

"Whatever you want will wait."  Kren arched his neck downward at an almost painful angle to look the man in the eyes, his temper finally snapping. 

"You have no say in this matter."  The man persisted, though he drew back as Kren smiled in a way that sent a chill up his back.

"I'm over two meters tall, more than four hundred pounds and have a hand-canon strapped to my thigh.  How much do you want to argue with me?" Kren was surprised by his sudden lack of discipline, but Krenel was just more than he could take at the moment.  He put his index finger to the man's breastbone and backed him out the door. "Have a nice day, sir."  The durasteel door closed in the man's face and Kren locked it.  He turned to find Rehn glowering at him.

"I don't need _you_ to protect me." Rehn snapped, suddenly angry.  She didn't need anyone to baby-sit her.  She didn't need anyone.  Period.  

"Good, then you won't mind if I take a nap."  He deflected her anger with an exhausted yawn and claimed the only other bunk in the room, which sat right beside Rehn's.  Draven was exhausted both mentally and physically, but between escaping Cey'lon, Barryk's injuries and Rehn's brush with death, he hadn't much time to even think about sleep.  He settled heavily into the bed, which creaked under this weight.  He heard Rehn snort at him irritably as he curled up on his side, facing her.  He didn't know where the filly's anger was coming from, but new in her present state that there was no point in trying to get her to open up.  Kren barely finished that last thought before he was soundly asleep, letting his mind and body give in to his fatigue.

Rehn sat and glowered at him for a long moment before sliding back down into bed and rolling onto her side so that she was facing away from Draven.  She felt like a prisoner again and it was obvious by the way she was being isolated that the Alliance no longer trusted her.  Rehn stared at the wall, feeling lost and alone, a great hole inside her where Gellan's presence had once been.  She drifted off into uneasy sleep, a sleep plagued by nightmares of what had and could have been.

***

               The door hissed open softly and Kren looked over his shoulder with a weary, bleary-eyed expression.  A slight, red headed woman in a grey uniform stepped through the door and waved at him in greeting.  Draven gave a grunt and rolled over to sit on the bunk, scrubbing his tired face with his hands.

               "How have you been?"  She smiled warmly at him, her voice was just as gentle and caring as he remembered.  

               "Can't complain I guess." He yawned and stretched "It's good to see you again, though I wish the circumstances were different." Draven looked over his shoulder at Rehn's sleeping form.  

               "So do I." She reached out and stroked his cheek with a fond smile.  "How is she?"

               "Suspicious, defensive and angry."  Draven got to his feet, flicking an ear in Rehn's direction and wondered if she was really still asleep.  

               "Tell me what happened."  She sat on the bunk and motioned for him to do the same.

               "Thing is, we don't really know yet."  Kren leaned back against the wall and shook his head.  "She hasn't really been able to tell us anything.  Hell, she was almost dead when we got her here."  He took her hand and smiled. "I know you can help her.  You got my head straightened out, this shouldn't be much of a stretch."  

               "I'll do what I can for her, Kren." Mia Varsen looked over at the room's other occupant and watched her twitch violently in her sleep.  The twitching suddenly became more pronounced until Rehn began to thrash unconsciously, her toes and spurs shredding the blanket.  Kren leapt over the bunk and caught her flailing hands, dodging her deadly feet as Rehn screamed in terror.  Wrapping an arm around her chest he pinned her arms and barely managed to get a hand over her muzzle before she snapped at him.

               "Rehn!" the word came out in a harsh, military bark and Gade's eyes snapped open.  She quit thrashing, obviously confused and disoriented.  Rehn's chest heaved for breath and her eyes turned wild when she realized someone was restraining her.

               "Let me go!" she screamed in panic and Kren released her.  She scuttled away from him landing on the floor with a thud and shuffling quickly back into the corner.

               "Rehn, you're ok."  The woman stepped around the bed and Rehn finally noticed her.  "No one will hurt you here."  Gade huddled in the corner, her ears flattened against the sides of her skull, her blue and brown eyes flashing in fear and threat. "I'm Mia Varsen.  I'm a combat psychologist and I want to help you."

               "Please… just leave me alone." Gade buried her face in her arms and tried to catch her breath, the awful images that plagued her dreams finally, slowly fading from her mind.  She gave a great shudder and got to her feet, trying to regain some dignity and Mia gave Kren a significant glance.  Draven left the room hesitantly, looking over his shoulder at Rehn one last time before the door closed behind him.

***

               "Look."  Rehn's voice was now angry and she stood in a defensive posture, her eyes spitting Varsen like daggers "I _don't_ want to talk about it.  It's my problem, I'll deal with it."  Mia had been fighting a losing battle for over an hour now, trying to get Rehn to open up even a little.  

               "All this anger is going to eat you up inside.  I'm not going to judge you, I just want to help you."  The Major sat in the folding chair, her arms crossed, as she looked at the thalcein evenly   

"I don't want your help." Gade looked away and turned her back to the Major, her body language clearly stating that she was all done talking.  

               Rehn felt the Dark Side call to her, a seductive voice in her mind that tempted her to just lash out at the woman.  Her lips pulled back from her teeth as Gade fought off the temptation that made her muscles quiver almost eagerly.  She just wanted to be alone and no one seemed to understand that.  She heard the woman sigh sadly and rise from the chair.

               "My com will be on if you need me, Rehn." Varsen gave her a kind look and smile "When you're ready, I'm here to help."  The woman left and Gade continued to stare almost vacantly at the wall.  

Draven slid back into the room before the door could hiss closed.  He came to within a couple of meters and looked down at Rehn as she stood with her back to him.

                "I'll take a wild guess and say you didn't even speak to Mia.  You think you're the only one who's enjoyed Imperial hospitality?" His voice wasn't scornful, just flat.  She didn't reply and didn't look at him and Kren decided to try a new approach.  His voice grew hard. "I asked you a question, Lieutenant."  

               "Do you ever get tired of hearing yourself speak?  Just leave me the hell alone!" Rehn shot him a hard glare, her teeth showing in threat. 

               "Do you ever get tired of feeling sorry for yourself?" he replied acidicly.  "Your brother is floating in a bacta tank and you never once asked how he was doing.  If it weren't for him, Drakahn would have killed you."

               "What makes you think he didn't."  It was more a bitter statement than a question "And as for my brother, he deserves what he got.  To the Pit with him."  Kren rolled his eyes in disgust, only making her angrier.

               "Nice.  Fine, wallow in self-pity and misery.  See how far it gets you." Kren gave her an almost malicious, sarcastic smile "I'm sure Gellan would be so very proud of you." 

Rehn came at him without warning, an inarticulate snarl of rage clawing from her throat as she dove at the big stallion.  Draven was ready for it and he caught her wrist as he deflected the punched Gade levelled at him.  Her reactions slowed by pain, fatigue and drugs, Kren easily pulled her to him and just held her as Rehn struggled.  He wrapped his arms around her in a brotherly gesture of love and concern as she continued to struggle.  Gade snarled, growled and fought like a wild thing until her strength ebbed and her snarls became wracking sobs of grief and frustration.  Kren stroked her neck comfortingly as she began to cry in earnest.             

"It wasn't your fault.  But I know how you feel.  When my first partner was killed, I blamed myself for a long, long time."  He hugged her tightly and his voice took on a far-off quality.  "I know it hurts – you go over it again and again in your mind and wonder if there was something you could have done differently, only to eventually realize that nothing you could have done would have mattered.  You distance yourself from everyone; afraid to make friends and have a life because you're scared they'll be taken from you."

               "I miss them so much." Rehn had stopped sobbing, exhausted and trying to fight the terrible, empty feeling inside her. "When my sire and dam died, it was like having a piece of me torn out.  When Gellan died, it was like part of me died with him."  Kren loosened his grip on her, giving Rehn the opportunity to pull away now that she had calmed, but she did not move.  

               "It hurts less in time." The Infiltrator held the young soldier gently and looked down at her. "Just remember that you have friends who want to help when you're ready." 

****

Varsen sat in Craken's office aboard the _United Front, a cup of steaming hot caf in one hand, Barryk and Kren's compiled report on a datapad in the other.  _

"Do you think you can help her?"  Cracken asked, his voice somber.  Varsen appeared to stare at nothing in particular for a few moments before nodding.

"I can help her.  But she has to _want_ my help.  I can't force her to tell me what happened or she's going to explode.  " Varsen said "She's angry and suspicious.  Gade could be a danger to the _Hope's_ crew.  I recommend she be kept isolated.  She's just coming into her Force powers again and in her current emotional state she may lash out before she can stop herself."

"Is she a danger to herself?" Cracken ran a hand down his face.  He just did not have the time to deal with one confused, angry and potentially dangerous kid amidst a battle-ready fleet.  

"No, the Thalcein don't commit suicide by their own hand.  It's a completely foreign idea to them, a coward's way out.  Getting killed while _doing something, though, is another matter entirely.  In all honesty, she will be unfit for combat for some time, if not indefinitely." Mia shrugged and slouched in her seat.  "Unfortunately, by isolating her to protect others Rehn feels like she's a prisoner again.  She's very wary right now and she doesn't know whom she can trust.  Barryk betrayed her when he wiped her mind and she doesn't trust him any more either.  Gellan was her only real friend, so she feels directionless."_

"If she's a danger I don't have much choice in the matter.  I have almost a quarter of a million personnel in this fleet.  I can't justify putting them in danger over one soldier.  I'm either going to have to cut her loose or keep her sedated and confined if she becomes unruly.  I like Rehn - she's a pain in my ass but a good soldier.  Unfortunately in cold military terms the latter option is a waste of resources if she's combat ineffective."  Sometimes Airen Cracken hated his job.  "I hate to do it but I have to think of the fleet first, though I feel like I'm throwing her to the vornskrs." 

"If you discharge Rehn from service, he and Kren will most likely leave as well."  Mia stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and noticed that General Cracken looked as haggard as she did.  It had been a very long day.

"They're both good officers but no one is irreplaceable."  Cracken ran a hand down his tired face and sat back heavily in his seat.  "Rehn needs them more than I do." 

               "They hauled Barryk out of the tank a few hours ago.  I'll talk to the guys tomorrow and let Barryk tell Rehn."  Varsen got out of her seat. "Because quite frankly, she scares me."  

As Mia left his office, the General sighed sent a quick memo off to Intel; questioning Gade was pointless now as any security codes she knew had been changed.  The forward base she and Gellan had launched from had since been moved to another sector, so Krenel's badgering for information was not going to help her. 

Cracken looked at the screen of his desktop workstation, a screen filled with Rehn Gade's military record.  For three years she had sweated and bled for 'the cause' and now the Alliance was abandoning her. He hoped getting away from combat would help her but as the need to fight seemed to be as much a part her as blood and bone, he doubted it.  


End file.
